In a battle between two winless teams, the Stars were dismissed for 172 at the Lavington Sports Ground in country NSW. They lost wickets on the last four balls of the final over bowled by left-arm quick Sams (4-33 off four overs).
The left-arm quick took a return catch, had another batter caught and completed a team hat-trick by assisting in a run out before bowling the last man.
Four wickets in four balls 🤯 — KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) Daniel Sams picked up three, and he got a run out in this amazing end to the Stars innings. #BBL13 pic.twitter.com/zjnf7CCNiaDecember 23, 2023
With the Thunder needing 23 off as many balls, Sams (22 not out off 13) erased all doubts with a quickfire cameo and Nathan McAndrew settled the game with a six over long on with ten deliveries remaining.
The win moved Sydney to fifth and leaves the Stars bottom, having won just one of their 11 BBL matches in 2023.
The Thunder prevailed despite an excellent all-round performance from Webster, who top-scored with 59 off 44 balls and was also the Stars' most successful bowler with 4-29, his best BBL figures.
He became the first player in Big Bash history to score a half-century and take four wickets in the same game.
Beau Webster (r) took four wickets against the Thunder after earlier scoring 59 runs for the Stars. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)
Slingy Pakistan quick Zaman Khan (3-24 off three overs) bowled Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright with beautifully executed yorkers to earn the player of the match award.
Webster was the only Star to build on a start after they opted to bat first in front of just over 10,000 spectators.
Captain Maxwell (30 off 26), Tom Rogers (21 off 16) and Hilton Cartwright (22 off 11) all looked dangerous but failed to go on with the job.
Sydney looked to be cruising to victory after a punishing opening stand of 78 off 7.2 overs between Alex Hales (40 off 26) and Cameron Bancroft (30 off 20).
Englishman Hales smashed three sixes in an over off Stars debutant Mark Steketee and Bancroft struck fours off the first two deliveries of the next over, before Webster dismissed both in the space of three balls.
Webster then had the dangerous Ollie Davies (23 off 18) caught at mid off after he had cracked two fours and a six earlier in the over.
Alex Ross (17 off nine) fell to spinner Liam Dawson, who then took a great catch to dismiss Jason Sangha (19 off 21) to give Webster his fourth scalp.
