Marcus Stoinis has been dismissed for back-to-back ducks in his last two batting innings for the Melbourne Stars, but that hasn't made Perth Scorchers batter Josh Inglis any less aware of how much of a powerhouse he can be.
The Stars and Scorchers both sit at 1-1 after their opening games, making their clash in St. Kilda on Friday especially intriguing, and it may well come down to a player like Stoinis to make the difference, which is what has Inglis, his teammate for Western Australia, so on edge.
"We'd be very naive and stupid not to (take the threat seriously)," Inglis told Cricket.com.au.
"He's been a fantastic player in this tournament since he started really.
"He's so powerful. Junction Oval is usually a pretty good wicket and not a very big ground either."
However, Stoinis is not the only Star the Scorchers need to be wary of after Joe Clarke's stunning 101 off 66 in the Stars' 38-run victory over the Hobart Hurricanes, as well as the strikeforce of bowlers they boast, which includes Adam Zampa and Trent Boult.
To match up against them, the Scorchers will need to find something special, and they might have it in the form of Jhye Richardson, who, in his return from a heel injury, has taken 3-26 and 4-9 in the first two games.
"It's been amazing," Inglis continued on Richardson's return.
"He's missed a fair bit of cricket recently, but the way he's almost clicked straight back into gear has been fantastic for us.
"He's been a wicket-taker and he hasn't leaked runs either. He looks really confident at the minute.
"We know how special he is and how talented he is."
The Scorchers have won the last three encounters between the pair, so the Stars will be looking to utilise their host of stars to enact some revenge.
The match between the Stars and the Scorchers is set to start at 3:30 PM AEST on Friday.
