Marcus Stoinis made another statement that he is Australia’s premier all-rounder and deserves to be considered for Test honours by leading the Melbourne Stars to a six-wicket victory in the cross-town Big Bash League derby at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

Fresh off a successful one-day series against India when he impressed with bat and ball, Stoinis claimed 3-19 against the Renegades and then opened the batting, finishing unbeaten on 70 off 65 balls in a man-of-the-match effort.

Already a fixture of the ODI side, having been the only man to play in all of Australia’s 50-overs matches last year, Stoinis has been touted for Test selection, with Shane Warne pushing his case at every opportunity. While the standard and discipline required in Test cricket is of a far higher grade, the temperament Stoinis showed in helping the Stars complete a summer sweep of the Renegades was impressive.

The Stars were supposed to have had the benefit of four international representatives returning but it was the pluck of the Renegades which almost proved the difference in a low-scoring clash.
On a sluggish, even sticky, deck which had as much bounce as a flat tyre, prompting more concerns about the standard of pitches, the Renegades did their best to throw away the game with the bat when fired out for 121 off 19.3 overs.