The beauty of one day cricket at the domestic level is that if the teams are levelled out then the results can fluctuate from one day to the next. With the Australian representatives out of the teams for the time being it means that both New South Wales and South Australia were missing some key personnel, but the quality of those that remain made the game a fascinating one to the end.
South Australia’s innings was one of changing standard. Alex Carey and Jake Weatherald both showed off their undoubted potential with the bat, taking on all stages of the Blues bowling attack and doing the job required. For Carey it is an important time as his name continues to make headlines as a possible wicket keeper in Brisbane come November, and every run he makes will probably be judged just as harshly as his keeping skills given the demands on that part of the role in the past two years. His 60 off 55 balls here with seven boundaries and three sixes showed he can move the score along when necessary. His big moments will probably come in the Sheffield Shield matches to follow. Weatherald’s anchoring 103 was almost chanceless and again included countless boundaries, fourteen fours and two sixes in all. He has impressed plenty in a short space of time, and his star continues to rise as a result. Cam Ferguson again failed to get going, and Tom Cooper discovered the pleasure and pain of cricket, following his wonderful century from the other day to be triggered first ball LBW for a golden duck against Nathan Lyon coming around the wicket. The modest Cricket Australia coverage gave no real benefit as to whether he was out plumb or not, but the differing opinions of batsman and bowler were there for all to see.
Enter Alex Ross, and one of my favourite batsmen to watch did not disappoint. His innings was a furious combination of slashes and bashes, monstering the ball to and over the boundary in a ferocious display that reminded everyone of his talent. He finished with 110 off 85 deliveries with seven fours and seven sixes, but it was the impetus he achieved at just the right time that enabled South Australia to regain the lost composure of the two quick middle order wickets and post an imposing target of 6/346.
Mitchell Starc made his return to cricket here, and although he was wild and woolly in his first two overs with wides and full bungers and even a beamer he recovered for a reasonable return of 1/55. Nathan Lyon, who had managed the dual breakthrough in the middle of the innings, was thrashed by Ross in particular, and eventually went for 2/88 from just nine overs. Sean Abbot (3/59) and Mickey Edwards (0/48) were once again the best for the Blues.
In reply, the Blues probably had the match at their beck and call but still found a way to lose it. Dan Hughes (105) and Kurtis Patterson (84) had the Blues at 1/202 after 37 overs, leaving 145 runs required from 78 balls. They had probably left themselves just a little too much to do, especially when they both fell in consecutive deliveries, leaving two new batsmen and those that followed a tough ask to chase down. In the end it was a bridge too far, and the innings finished at 301, with Joe Mennie taking four wickets.
Once again the folly of the toss winning skipper putting their opponents in had been found to be a bad move. The Redbacks continued their recovery after their first up loss, while the Blues are now in danger of missing out on the end game having lost two of their three matches.
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