Handscomb comes to Stars' rescue for BBL finals

Peter Handscomb has been parachuted into the Melbourne Stars' fairytale Big Bash League finals push to replace Test player Beau Webster.

With Webster bound for a UAE training camp and then the Sri Lanka Test series, Handscomb is available for selection for Wednesday's knockout final against the Sydney Thunder.

A noted player of spin, Handscomb had been considered unlucky to miss the 16-player squad for Sri Lanka, and looms as an enticing selection prospect for the clash at spin-friendly ENGIE Stadium.

The 33-year-old answered a similar call to arms last summer, replacing Sam Harper when the Stars' wicketkeeper suffered a season-ending concussion.

But he has not held a full-time BBL contract since signing a last-minute deal with the Melbourne Renegades ahead of the 2022/23 summer.

Before that Handscomb played eight consecutive summers with the Stars and two at the Hobart Hurricanes.

"It's great to be back at the Stars, and the squad is obviously playing with a lot of confidence at the moment," Handscomb said."I'm ready if needed, and hopefully we can keep going deep into this tournament."

Since returning from Test duties, Webster had helped the Stars orchestrate a five-game winning streak that secured an unlikely finals berth.

He made 51 in the defeat of ladder-leading Hobart on Sunday night that secured the Stars' first post-season appearance since the 2019/20 summer.

The Thunder are contending with their own absence as teenage opener Sam Konstas joins Webster in flying out with the Test squad.

Matthew Gilkes or Ollie Davies loom as the likeliest candidates to replace Konstas as David Warner's partner at the top of the order.