The Melbourne Stars have posted 4-156, leaving their BBL match against the Sydney Sixers evenly poised at the MCG.
After Glenn Maxwell threatened one of his special innings that would have torn the match apart, spinner Todd Murphy responded with an outstanding spell in which he claimed the crucial wicket of the big-hitting Stars captain.
Befitting a match between the third-placed Sixers and the fourth-placed Stars, the two sides were fancying their chances in the innings break.
The Stars probably needed another 10 or 15 runs, but Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis managed four boundaries in the last seven balls to set a competitive score.
Melbourne are on a four-game winning streak, while the Sixers are coming off a succession of rain-affected games.
Maxwell came to the crease with his side in early trouble at 2-41 in the sixth over.
Sixers' Todd Murphy (centre) celebrates after dismissing the Stars' Beau Webster for a duck. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
He quickly went on the warpath and belted four fours and two sixes in his 31 from 14 balls before Murphy struck.
The spinner enticed Maxwell with a wide ball and Sean Abbott caught him in deep cover to leave the Stars 3-77 in the 10th over.
Murphy was outstanding, also bowling in-form Beau Webster for a duck in his 2-15 from four overs.
After opener Dan Lawrence was dismissed for a top score of 36 in the 14th over, Stoinis and Cartwright struggled to find the boundary with any regularity in their 56-run partnership.
Cartwright hit a six into the second tier of the Shane Warne Stand off Sean Abbott at the end of the 19th over, before he and Stoinis added some much-needed meat to the innings with three fours at the last.
Stoinis scored 34 from 30 balls and Cartwright made 29 from 22.
Melbourne were without wicketkeeper Sam Harper, who is out of hospital after being hit on the head while batting at Friday training.
Australia international Peter Handscomb took his place and Test paceman Scott Boland also returned for the Stars, while the Sixers brought back Daniel Hughes.