HAMPSHIRE signing Yasir Arafat bowled Kevin Pietersen for a golden duck on his way to a four-wicket haul - but still finished on the losing side.
Michael Carberry was not required to bat as Perth Scorchers made 179-2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
I looked like being a comfortable Scorchers win when opening bowler Arafat, who will be playing in the limited-overs formats for Hampshire this season, dismissed Luke Wright and Pietersen with his first two balls before finishing with 4-27.
But the Stars won by three wickets with three balls to spare thanks to a sensational century from rookie batsman Peter Handscomb, who secured the win with two of his five sixes from three balls at the beginning of the final over.
Handscomb hit 54 from his last 20 balls to secure a fifth successive win that puts the Stars level on points with the Scorchers.
But it was not by a big enough margin to replace them in second place so the Scorchers will have home advantage when the same teams contest the second semi-final on Sunday.
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