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.

In reply, with Stoinis, Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell back in the fold, the Stars appeared to have the power to stroll to victory. Instead, it became a grind.

Ben Dunk fell second ball when baffled by a straight ball from spinner Mohammad Nabi, while Handscomb fell on eight when caught at cover off Kane Richardson. The fast bowler celebrated by turning to non-striker Stoinis – a good friend – and flexing his muscle. While Richardson was in the action again when he ran out Maxwell attempting a second run that was never really there, it was Stoinis who ultimately flexed the greatest muscle.

The Stars required 19 off the final two overs with Dwayne Bravo and Stoinis at he crease but that chase became only three off the final over after they took to veteran Dan Christian. Victory came with four balls to spare.

Team Green had been in last-place heading into this clash but their fourth win of the season snapped a three-game losing skid and ensured they remain in the finals hunt with five games remaining. The second-placed Renegades simply squandered an opportunity to all but secure a top-four berth.

A strong crowd of more than 38,000 had come expecting a high-scoring contest, for the Renegades had skipper Aaron Finch back from one-day international duty and partnering Marcus Harris for the first time this season.

The absence of Harris, who will now leave for Test duty, and Finch had seen the Renegades go through eight opening combinations – the old firm showing why they had been missed.

Harris (15 off 10 balls) took to Jackson Bird, helping to take 12 off his first over, while Finch (14 off nine) – no doubt relieved to be free of India’s swinging quicks – welcomed Liam Plunkett to the crease with a straight six and clipped him over the mid-wicket rope next ball.

However, the Englishman responded when he had Harris brilliantly plucked one-handed by Bravo at mid-on.

Bird, having changed ends after conceding 12 in his first over, found redemption when Finch sliced over cover and was caught by a diving Nick Maddinson and two balls later benefited from an ugly slog from Sam Harper, who had yet to score.

From 0-30 they collapsed to 4-33 when Cameron White (one off five) was beaten by a slower delivery from Marcus Stoinis. Tom Cooper (24 off 22) and Nabi (28 off 33) shared in a 41-run stand but losing a clutch of wickets is often a position too hard to rebound from in cricket’s bite-sized format, and the Renegades were unable to rebuild.