Bushrangers upset Blues to end winning streak

The NSW Blues have suffered their first defeat of the Matador Cup after falling to lowly placed Victoria by two runs at Blacktown Oval.

It was a black Friday for the Blues as not only did they lose their first match of the tournament, they also forfeited top place on the table to WA and look like losing skipper Moises Henriques for at least a month with a calf injury.

Set a modest 246 runs to win, the Blues were always behind the run rate before some late hitting by Ryan Carters and Sean Abbott saw them requiring only seven runs in the last over to pull off an unlikely victory.

However both batsman were run out at the non-strikers end in successive balls in the final over leaving the Blues on 6-243, two runs short of the Bushranger’s total.

David Hussey, who was named player of the match after scoring 58 off only 38 balls was relieved to win their second match of the tournament.

“It is pretty good beating NSW on their home paddock,” he said after the game. “We have had a pretty tough tournament so it is good to get a win on the board and make the dressing room feel a bit better.

“It is good scoring runs, especially against good quality fast bowlers. NSW always have a good attack.”

The Blues made two changes to the side that defeated the Bushrangers only four days ago with Chris Green and Sean Abbott replacing Pat Cummins and Scott Henry, while the Bushrangers brought back David Hussey, Jon Holland and Fawad Ahmed.

Victoria won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch that was expected to provide plenty of assistance to the bowlers due to the recent spate of bad weather that forced the cancellation of games earlier in the week.

The Bushrangers began slowly, taking the score to 16 in the fifth over before Doug Bollinger bowled Alex Keath for eight. The NSW bowlers were well on top and when Finch was run out for 32, Victoria was 2-55 in the 16th over.

However a century partnership between Cameron White (53 off 67), and Marcus Stoinis (57 off 103), got the Bushrangers back in the game, and an unbeaten stand of 84 between Mike Hussey (58 off 38), and Peter Handscomb (27 off 23), saw Victoria reach 6-245 after their 50 overs.

The Blues also started slowly and although all the top order got starts, none could get on top of the Victorian attack, and when Henriques retired hurt in the 24th over NSW were 2-92 and the required run rate had climbed to 5.8 per over.

Ben Rohrer (38 off 49), and Ryan Carters (65 off 66), combined in a partnership of 73 before Rohrer was caught out of his crease by keeper Handscomb, leaving the Blues at 4-184 in the 43rd over.

Sean Abbott (31 off 26), joined Carters, with the pair taking the score to 238 at the end of the 49th over, and putting NSW in sight of an unlikely victory.

Requiring only seven runs off the final over, Abbott hit the first ball of the over through point for two. Two singles off the next two deliveries put the Blues within four runs of the Bushrangers total with three balls in hand.

However two run outs in consecutive balls – both at the non-striker’s end – put an end to the NSW comeback, leaving them two runs short of the Bushranger’s total of 6-245.

Jonathan Holland was the best for the Victorian bowlers with 2-34. While Mike Hussey (1-33), and Fawad Ahmed (1-55), were the only other wicket takers.

Although the loss was disappointing, a win over bottom placed South Australia at Drummoyne Oval on Monday would see the Blues consolidate their position in the top three, and ensure them a place in the preliminary final at Blacktown Oval next Friday – most likely against Queensland.

SCORECARD

12th men: Christian, DT (VIC),Cummins, PJ (NSW)

Umpires: Mealey, DB (AUS), Ward, JD (AUS)

Third Umpire: Craig, SAJ (AUS)

Match Refree: Bernard, SR (AUS)

Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers: Aaron Finch (c), Peter Handscomb, Alex Keath, David Hussey, Cameron White, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short, John Hastings, Jonathan Holland, Scott Boland, Fawad Ahmed, Daniel Christian (12th)

NSW Blues: Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill (wk), Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques (c), Ben Rohrer, Ryan Carters, Sean Abbott, Chris Green, Gurinder Sandhu, Josh Hazlewood, Doug Bollinger, Patrick Cummins (12th)

MATADOR CUP STANDINGS

Blues defeat Bushrangers to remain unbeaten in Matador Cup

Thanks largely to a magnificent maiden century to Skipper Moises Henriques, the NSW Blues defeated the Victorian Bushrangers by five wickets at North Sydney Oval today to remain unbeaten after four matches in the 2014 Matador Cup.

Henriques’ innings of 131, off just 112 deliveries including five sixes and 10 boundaries, earned him man of the match honours just ahead of Cameron White, who earlier in the day had smashed 108 off 84 balls to help Victoria reach a competitive 293.

Although behind the required run rate throughout much of the innings, Henriques and Peter Nevill (73 off 85), were able to keep the Blues within touch until some late hitting saw them comfortably home with 15 balls to spare.

NSW won the toss and elected to bowl first on a pitch tinged with green but expected to produce plenty of runs.

The Bushrangers opening pair of Dan Christian (41 off 46), and Rob Quiney (50 off 64), took to Doug Bollinger early on. His first three overs cost 29 runs and he was promptly taken out of the attack. Although his replacement Pat Cummins was less expensive, the Victorian batsmen were still well in control, taking the score to 80 in the 15th over without the loss of a wicket.

However two wickets to Gurinder Sandhu in the 16th over got the Blues back in the game. Christian was the first to go spooning a simple catch to Cummins at mid-wicket, before Matthew Wade was caught behind by Nevill off the final ball of the over without scoring.

The two dismissals brought about a significant reduction to the Bushrangers run rate with the next 15 overs producing only 57 runs for the loss of a further two wickets. Quiney just managing to reach his half century before being caught by Cummins at short mid-wicket, while Alex Keath was caught soon after off the bowling of Cummins for eight.

Gurinder Sandhu’s two wickets in the 16th over got NSW back in the match. Image courtesy: Matt King Getty Images

Keath’s dismissal in the 29th over brought Marcus Stoinis to the crease with the score at 4-135, and NSW with the upper hand. However a century stand between White and Stoinis put the Bushrangers back into the game.

The pair put on 101 in 88 balls, and when Stoinis (59 off 50), was finally dismissed in the 43rd over Victoria were well placed to hit out in the final overs with White looking comfortable on 71, and the score at 5-236.

White smashed 30 runs in the following three overs before playing at a ball wide of off stump from Bollinger, yet only managing to top edge the ball to Rohrer at backward point. His innings of 101 off only 84 balls included eight sixes and six boundaries, and had the Bushrangers reasonably well placed at 7-279.

However the Victorian tailenders could not carry the innings through to the 50th over as Bollinger claimed the wickets of both McKay (2), and Holland (0), while Boland was run out by Nevill for one. The Bushrangers all out for 293.

For the Blues Bollinger came back after being taken to early, claiming four wickets for 78, while Cummins (3-52), and Sandhu (2-28), were the other wicket takers.

The NSW innings got off to a slow start. Both Nic Maddinson and Peter Nevill were restricted by the Victorian bowling of McKay and Hastings, and when Matthew Wade pulled off one of the most amazing run outs from a wicket keeper you will see to dismiss Maddinson for five in the seventh over, the Blues were in early trouble.

When an out of sorts Scott Henry was dismissed shortly after for one, NSW were 2-38 in the 10th over and the required run rate had risen to over six per over.

Moises Henriques joined Nevill to produce a much needed partnership of 127 runs off 125 balls, before a suicidal attempt at a single from Henriques led to the dismissal of Nevill with the score on 165. Nevill’s innings of 73 came off 85 balls and included four boundaries and two sixes.

Kurt Patterson followed Nevill back to the pavilion five balls later, which brought Ben Rohrer to the crease with the Blues requiring 129 to win off 107 balls, and Henriques on 72.

The two combined in a partnership of 94 off 83 balls to put NSW firmly in control of the match, before Henriques on 131, once again misjudged a run and was given out by the third umpire after a direct hit from Boland in the 45th over.

Ryan Carters joined Rohrer in an unbeaten stand of 33 to take the Blues past the Bushranger’s total of 293 in the 48th over, with 15 balls to spare and five wickets in hand. Rohrer finishing on 42 not out while Carters (21), scored the winning runs off a free hit despite being caught in the deep, and took his total runs to 110 without having lost his wicket in four innings.

The win consolidates the Blues position at the top of the Matador Cup table. Another, against the so far undefeated Western Warriors at Blacktown on Wednesday will go a long way to cementing that spot, and putting them straight through to the final at the SCG on October 26.

SCORECARD

12th men: Tremain, CP (VIC),Lalor, JK (NSW)

Umpires: Barrow, AJ (AUS), Wilson, P (AUS)

Third Umpire: Joshua, GC (AUS)

Match Refree: Marshall, PL (AUS)

Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers: Daniel Christian, Rob Quiney, Matthew Wade (c/wk), Cameron White, Alex Keath, Marcus Stoinis, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Clint McKay, Jonathan Holland, Scott Boland, Chris Tremain (12th)

NSW Blues: Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill (wk), Scott Henry, Moises Henriques (c), Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Ryan Carters, Patrick Cummins, Gurinder Sandhu, Josh Hazlewood, Doug Bollinger, Josh Lalor (12th)

GALLERY

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

Image courtesy Matt King Getty Images

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Blues move to top of Matador Cup table with win over Bulls

Queensland conceded top spot on the Matador Cup table to NSW, after the Blues defeated the defending champions by four wickets at Allan Border field on Monday.

On the back of a very solid performance in the field, the Blues overcame a shaky start with the bat to pass the Bulls total of 190 with two and a half overs to spare.

A steady loss of wickets saw NSW in trouble at 5-96 in the 30th over, before a sixth wicket stand of 91 between Ben Rohrer and Ryan Carters all but guided the Blues home, leaving them undefeated after two matches.

Earlier in the day, Bull’s skipper James Hopes won the toss and elected to bat first on the same pitch used by NSW and SA in similar conditions on Saturday, when a score of 240 proved to be about 30 runs short.

After returning from the Champions League in India, Doug Bollinger came into the NSW side at the expense of Chris Green and was the first NSW bowler to claim a wicket, when Hartley was caught by Lalor for eight.

However that was the only highlight for the Blues early as Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns took the score to 70 in the 13th over, before Khawaja advanced down the pitch to Henriques only to be caught by Rohrer at backward point for 43.

His dismissal triggered a mini collapse, with Forrest (0), Burns (18), and Floros (2), all out in quick succession, before Nathan Reardon (45), and James Hopes (39), steadied the Queensland innings with a partnership of 73 runs.

Hopes’ dismissal off the bowling of Hazelwood in the 36th over brought Ben Cutting (7) to the crease whose own wicket soon after triggered another Queensland batting collapse. The Bulls losing their last four wickets for only 14 runs, and almost eight overs short of their allotted 50.

After taking seven wickets in NSW’s opening game, Hazelwood (3-47), continued his good form, while Gurinder Sandhu (3-37), and NSW Captain Moises Henriques (3-28), also took multiple wickets.

The NSW openers started slowly before the in-form Nic Maddinson (14) tried to belt Mark Steketee to the boundary once too often in the fourth over. A mistimed drive saw him caught at first slip after smashing 12 runs off the medium pacer’s previous three balls.

Scott Henry only lasted six deliveries before being run out for one bringing Moises Henriques to the crease. The NSW Captain combined with Peter Nevill for 37 runs before being bowled by Michael Neser for 20.

Kurtis Patterson (8), fell to off spinner Jason Floros soon after, and when Nevill (43), became Floros’ second victim, NSW were 5-96 and the home side looked to be in control.

However a 91 run partnership between Ben Rohrer and Ryan Carters took the game away from the Queenslanders. When Rohrer was finally dismissed for 52, the Blues only needed three runs to win off 20 balls, which they did with 15 balls to spare.

Rohrer’s 52 was the only half century scored in the match and came off only 59 balls with seven fours, while Carters finished not out on 41 off 53 balls with four boundaries.

The win leaves NSW on top of the Matador Cup table, two points ahead of Queensland, who earned a bonus point in their demolition of Victoria on Friday. However Queensland will have the chance to regain top spot when the two teams meet again at the Gabba on Friday October 10 in a day/night fixture.

Scorecard

12th men: Milenko, S (QLD),Copeland, TA (NSW)

Umpires: Mealey, DB (AUS), Nogajski, SJ (AUS)

Match Refree: Talalla, D (AUS)

myFootDr Queensland Bulls: Usman Khawaja, Chris Hartley (wk), Joe Burns, Peter Forrest, Nathan Reardon, Jason Floros, Ben Cutting, James Hopes (c), Michael Neser, Mark Steketee, Luke Feldman, Simon Milenko (12th)

NSW Blues: Peter Nevill (wk), Nic Maddinson, Scott Henry, Moises Henriques (c), Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Ryan Carters, Josh Lalor, Gurinder Sandhu, Josh Hazlewood, Doug Bollinger, Trent Copeland (12th)