Two matches were played yesterday in the newly branded JLT Cup competition on opposite sides of the continent, and the home teams manged to find a way to win both in differing circumstances. While both matches tended to twist and turn much like the opening clash, the endings could not have been less predictable of each other.
At Allan Border Field, the victors from Wednesday, the Cricket Australia XI (CAXI) took on the Queensland Bulls, and must have been full of confidence given their conquest of South Australia. Indeed, although the stars with the bat from that day didn't come off on this occasion, it was pleasant to see others step up in their wake. Opening batsman Max Bryant was a revelation, his 60 runs coming off just 48 deliveries, and coming with 8 boundaries and 2 sixers. It was entertaining stuff and got his team away to a flyer. Everyone made a start which was pleasing as a cricket watcher looking to the future of the game in Australia, and when Ben Pengelley finished off the innings with a quickfire 53 off 36 balls (4 boundaries and 3 sixes) the CAXI had reached a competitive 7/279 off their 50 overs.
While the bowlers had their moments, it was the ten over spell from leg spinning sensation Mitch Swepson that really caught the eye. Coming on in a maelstrom, he bowled his quota straight to finish with 1/31, and none of the batsmen appeared comfortable against him. He appears destined for greater things down the track.
While 279 was a good total, the feeling was that the top three for Queensland of Khawaja, Rensaw and Burns would be more than a match for it. Personally I thought they would get the runs one wicket down with about 12 overs to spare. While this wasn't quite the case, all three looked good against the inexperienced attack. Khawaja was lazy in being caught behind for 27, Burns was lazy in being caught at deep square leg on 49, and Renshaw was careless in being run out on 67. Along with Marnus Labuschagne who scored a run-a-ball 61 and the finishing of long ball slogger Ben Cutting with 39 not out off 25 balls, Queensalnd had their victory by four wickets with nine balls to spare. Jackson Coleman was good again without reward, while Mark Steketee against his team mates also bowled well.
At the W.A.C.A. the surely-now-dead career of Shaun Marsh was again resurrected by those interested in the west, as he batted through Western Australia's innings to finish on 132 not out in his first innings since the Indian Test tour. There's no doubt he's determined, and you can never completely rule out an international return, but whatever your thoughts he batted well here. The partnership between himself and Jonathan Wells (57) rescued Western Australia, and eventually helped to get them to a respectable 9/269. Gurinder Sandhu took three wickets in four balls in his final (and the innings' 50th) over to finish with 4/57.
The fact that New South Wales lost this game still remains a mystery as to how it could have been achieved. At 3/202 with 13 overs remaining, it should have been a doddle. Instead, the Blues fell over, losing 7/58 - and indeed 6/28 - to lose by nine runs. The Warriors pace attack of Jye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye used the conditions well and all showed why they are under national consideration, but the Blues will see it as a terrible missed opportunity. Moises Henriques top scored with 72 off 70, again raising questions as to why he was discarded from the ODI team so swiftly.
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