Big Bash League: Sydney Sixers captain Daniel Hughes hits 96 to beat Melbourne Stars in thriller

Sydney Sixers captain Daniel Hughes hit a sublime 96 as his side beat Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League by one wicket off the game’s penultimate ball.

He was then caught on the boundary trying to hit a four to win the game and bring up his century.

But a poor ball next up by Glenn Maxwell went away for four leg byes to give the Sixers a thrilling victory.

Stars captain Maxwell had earlier hit an unbeaten 71 from 47 balls and Nicholas Pooran smashed 65 off 26 balls to help their side post 193-5 at the Metricon Stadium in Carrara.

Pooran’s onslaught saw him bring up his half-century off just 17 balls and included eight sixes as the Stars recovered superbly from 49-4.

The Sixers slipped to 5-2 in reply, with England batsman James Vince falling for a duck, and continued to lose wickets steadily, with Liam Hatcher claiming 3-33.

However, Hughes kept his side in it with a tremendous array of hitting, launching Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa for two sixes to end the 18th over.

The Sixers could only add three runs and lost two more wickets in the next over, which seemed to put the Stars in control.

But Hughes cleared long-on from Maxwell’s first ball of the final over, before hitting the next for four through deep backward square and carting a full toss over the same region off the third ball.

He then picked out Hilton Cartwright at deep mid-wicket to fall for 96 off just 51 deliveries, leaving his side needing four from the final two balls with only one wicket remaining.

Maxwell delivered another full toss down the leg side that flicked Steve O’Keefe’s thigh pad and evaded wicketkeeper Ben Dunk to give the Sixers victory with one ball to spare.

The Sixers are top of the eight-team BBL table, with three wins from four matches, while the Stars are in fourth.