BBL cricket: Sydney Thunder claim thrilling last-ball win over Melbourne Stars at Manuka Oval in Canberra

In a see-sawing match at Manuka Oval on Tuesday night, 6,211 mostly lime green-clad Canberrans were treated to a thrilling Twenty20 show that came down to the very last delivery.

Chasing 123 to win, the Thunder had a tough task entering the final over, before a clutch six by Sandhu on the second-last ball left them needing only one run off one ball to win.

Stars bowler Beau Webster sprinted in on the power surge, and though he beat Sandhu, the ball wasn't stopped by Stars wicketkeeper Joe Clarke, who watched in dismay as it ran away to the boundary for the game-deciding byes.

"If there was ever a way to start the Big Bash, that was it," Thunder's Cam Green said on the Fox Sports broadcast after the match.

"We had a lot of faith in the tail to get us over the line... but I couldn't watch.

"Both sides bowled really well and made it an incredible game of cricket."

Sandhu (20 not-out) said he relied on his instincts to hit his game-changing six.

"We were just thinking if it's in the zone, smack it," he told The Canberra Times.

"It's a good way to start the year and hopefully it sets the tone for the Big Bash in terms of crowds and the types of games we have.

"We love coming here... the crowd always come out on support us whether it's a Tuesday or a Friday night, even though it's so cold, which is awesome."

For a moment the Stars looked to have swung momentum back their way, and unearthed a new hero along the way in sub fielder, Brody Couch.

"Two miracle catches in one night," proclaimed cricket legend Mark Waugh in commentary after Couch's stunning flying grab to send Green to the sheds in the final overs.

"That's the catch of the summer."

It was one of two cracking takes in the field by Couch for the Stars. His juggling effort to nab Thunder opener Matthew Gilkes in the second innings was another highlight.

The sub was only on the field due to Marcus Stoinis' ill health keeping him from fielding duties after he returned a positive COVID-19 test with teammate Joe Burns prior to the match.

Burns (18 runs) and Stoinis struggled in their first innings at the crease, with the former suffering a hamstring injury and forced to retire hurt, and the latter, clearly unwell, got out for a duck off his first ball.

The Thunder were excellent to open the match after winning the bat-flip and electing to bowl, keeping the Melbourne run rate modest and dismissing them, 8/122.

Sandhu (2/23) delivered with the ball as well as the bat, and was complemented by Daniel Sams (2/21) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/20).

But Sydney were put to the test on the run-chase.

Stars paceman Trent Boult (2/21) flipped the momentum in his BBL debut with back-to-back wickets of Gilkes and Rilee Rossouw for ducks leaving the Thunder 0/2 in the first over.

Stars stand-in captain Adam Zampa bowled Thunder skipper Jason Sangha and Coulter-Nile backed up his earlier wicket of Alex Hales for 16 by drawing a poor shot from Daniel Sams (3 runs) that was caught.

Coulter-Nile and Zampa's one-two punch continued with Oliver Davies (11 runs) and Alex Ross (28 runs) both bowled to leave Sydney in a precarious position.

But somehow the men in green grit their teeth and managed to hold on for an unforgettable victory.

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