Blues Back in Business After Towelling Up Tigers

Coming off what must have been a bitterly disappointing loss to Western Australia on Friday, the New South Wales Blues have come back in style in thrashing Tasmania at the W.A.C.A. yesterday, with old and new alike shining in a performance that once again leaves no doubt that they will be contenders this season. The staccato format of the domestic one day series means that if you aren’t performing for the entire four week period that this competition runs then you are going to find yourself in serious trouble. The Blues would have found this realisation after their collapse on Friday, and the Tigers now are fully aware of it also as they found this mixture of constant Blues players and those that are getting their chance because others are on international duty far too good under the circumstances.

What possessed George Bailey to field when he won the toss only he can answer, but his team was almost immediately under the pump as the opening partnership of Hughes and Maddinson carved them up. Dan Hughes looks to be starting this season like he played all of the last, scoring 56 off 63 balls in a partnership of 136 off just 2 overs. His missed chance with Australia A when they did not tour South Africa doesn’t look like being a barrier to him getting another chance very soon. Nic Maddinson was brutal, and he is showing no ill effects of his short and turbulent Test rise and fall last season. His 137 from 119 deliveries will not only be a relief for himself, but also a reminder that he is not going anywhere and will be looking to put himself back in to national calculations as soon as possible. The innings was finished off by the veteran Ed Cowan, batting out of position at number five but striking a clean 51 not out from 32 balls to ensure the Blues passed the 300 run barrier and post a score of 6/316 off their fifty overs. Once again it was the spinner that caused the most concern, with Cam Boyce taking 2/50 from his 10 overs, while Test back up Jackson Bird took some stick early before coming back hard to finish with 2/62

Ben Dunk and Ben McDermott came out firing, reaching 69 in the tenth over before the game changed. It was Nathan Lyon that provided the breakthrough, dismissing Dunk for 38, and the introduction of Mickey Edwards provided the wicket of McDermott to his first ball for 31. It was Edwards’ first wicket for NSW, and the cult hero of the Sydney Test in January this year wasn’t finished there. Both he and Sean Abbott ripped the heart out of the Tasmanian middle order with their excellent pace and bounce, backed up by some terrific catching by their teammates. Abbott dismissed both Bailey and Doolan with great determination. At 5/115 the game was pretty much over, but Jordan Silk produced a reminder of his talent by scoring 55 off 52 balls at number five before being the seventh wicket to fall when the chance appeared over. Tasmania was eventually dismissed for 214 in just the 40th over. Abbott finished with the superb figures of 3/29 off 6.2 overs, while Mickey Edwards was scintillating with 4/31 from 9 overs. Mitchell who? Josh who?

The victory re-affirms the Blues as one of the chances for this tournament, while the Tigers will need to re-group and most of the first-game losers have managed to do and find a way to improve on both sides of the fence before their next match.

Scorecard: JLT Cup Match 6: New South Wales vs Tasmania