Vics pip Bulls in a thriller
Sun, 21 February 2010
The Victorian Bushrangers have booked their spot in the Ford Ranger Cup final after overcoming a valiant fight-back from the Queensland Bulls to register a 25-run win at the Gabba on Saturday. Needing nearly 200 from the last 20 overs, Lee Carseldine (105 from 98) and Nathan Reardon (72 from 50) batted brilliantly to give the Bulls a fighting chance, before both were removed, sparking a collapse of 6-15. The Vics made an imposing 325 runs, guided by Brad Hodge who clubbed an unbeaten 136 off 118 earlier in the day, and when the Bulls got off to painfully slow start the game looked set to fizzle out early. But composed batting from Carseldine and powerful hitting from Reardon then Simpson (20 from 7) ensured the Bulls put up a fight on their way to being bowled out for 300, with McDonald (4-50) and Pattison (3-45) the pick of the Victorian bowlers. Tight bowling and defensive minded batting limited the Bulls to a mere 30 off the first ten overs, and when Ryan Broad fell for 12 off 30 in the 12th it looked like it would be a long night for the Bulls. Carseldine came to the crease to join Hartley and the pair continued to slowly build on Queensland's total with apparent disregard for the required run rate. Broad's was the only Queensland wicket to fall in the first 25, but their inability to capitalise on fielding restrictions in the first 15 had the game looking nearly unwinnable. After an uneventful period of play Hartley swept McGain to the ropes in the 29th over to register the Bull's first boundary since the 16th, but the run rate required continued to climb. After 29 overs of slow paced cricket the match came alive in the 30th, which featured two boundaries, ten runs and the wicket of Hartley. After slugging Pattison into umpire Norm McNamara and for boundaries over mid-wicket and then cover, Hartley was dismissed for 70 from 94, when his mis-timed pull shot popped back to the bowler for a simple return catch. Hartley's dismissal brought about the end of a 104 run partnership, and brought another left hander, Nathan Reardon to the crease with the Bulls needing almost ten runs an over. The introduction of Reardon brought life to the Bulls' batting effort and when the aggressive left-hander hit McGain for a pair of sixes in the 33rd over the Bulls were given some small hope for the first time in the match. With 15 overs remaining, the Bulls sat at 2-173, still needing 10 runs an over to win, but surprisingly only one run behind Victoria's score at the same point. The Bulls took their batting power play in the 35th and the 50 run partnership between Carseldine and Reardon came soon after from just 37 balls as the Queenslanders began to flail the Bushrangers at will. Reardon kept the runs ticking in the 37th with a beautiful lofted off drive from Hasting's bowling clearing the rope despite Aaron Finch's best efforts in the outer. With luck finally beginning to go the Bulls way, Carseldine was given a chance when Matthew Wade, standing up to the stumps to Hasting's bowling, failed to convert a tough leg-side stumping chance. After scoring 108 in the last 10 overs, the Bulls entered the 40th over in the hunt, needing 101 more with eight wickets in hand to snatch a miraculous victory. Reardon continued his attack on McGain in the 41st, slogging the leggie into the stands to bring up his 50 and then hitting a boundary in the same area to bring up a 100 run partnership with Carseldine from just 61 balls. Reardon continued his onslaught on the Vics in the 43rd over, this time smashing Pattinson into the stands over mid-off, before Carseldine came on strike and brought up a brilliant century off just 94 deliveries. Carseldine was given another life in the 44th after Brad Hodge inexplicably failed to dive for a leading edge off the bowling of McDonald, but the reprieve was short lived and McDonald clean bowled Carseldine with a well-disguised slower ball for 105 off 98. Carseldine's dismissal saw Craig Philipson promoted to number five, with the nuggety right-hander joining Reardon needing 61 runs from the last 37 balls. Reardon's brilliant run and effectively the Bulls chances, were ended on the first ball of the next over when a towering off drive only went as far as Finch who was stationed on the mid-off boundary. Simpson joined Philipson at the crease, but their partnership was short lived when Philipson became the next Bull to fall. Chris Lynn was the next man in and the 19-year old showed no nerves, cutting his first delivery for four and then dispatching McGain's next delivery deep into the stands for six. Lynn chanced his arm one time too many and eventually holed out to substitute Glenn Maxwell at deep mid-off from the bowling of McDonald. Ben Cutting came to the crease and immediately skied a ball down the ground; the ball was dropped, but Cutting was caught ball-watching and was run out. When Nathan Rimmington became the third man to fall from McDonald's over, edging straight to Matthew Wade behind the stumps, the Bulls had lost 6-15 and the contest once again looked over. But no one told Simpson the Bulls were out of it and the Bulls skipper hit out in the next over, sending McGain over the long leg-side boundary three times in the 47th over, leaving the Bulls needing 26 off the final 18 deliveries. Six balls later the Bulls had lost a wicket and still needed 26 after McDonald first trapped Laughlin in front and then bowled five consecutive dot balls to under pressure 18-year-old No.11 Alistair McDermott. Simpson connected with the first ball of Pattison's over, but unfortunately for the Bulls captain who targeted the longest boundary on the ground, and the catch fell to Maxwell on the boundary. Victoria innings 326 Queensland Innings Broad lbw Pattison 12 (30) Hartley c&b Pattison 70 (94) Carseldine b McDonald 105 (98) Reardon c Finch b McGain 72 (42) Philipson c McDonald b Mcgain 2 (3) Simpson c Maxwell (sub) b Pattison 20 (7) Lynn c Maxell (sub) b McDonald 11 (5) Cutting run out Maxwell (sub) 1(1) Rimmington c Wade b McDonald 0 (2) Laughlin lbw McDonald 1 (2) McDermott not out 0 (5) Extras 6 (1b, 1lb, 2w) Total 10/300 Bowlers O M W R Wright 10 - 3 - 0 - 50 Pattison 9.1 - 0 - 3 - 45 Hastings 9 - 0 - 0 - 55 McDonald 10 - 1 - 4 - 50 McGain 8 - 0 - 2 - 81 Hodge 2 - 0 - 0 - 18
Liam Daly, Sportal
