ING Cup: New South Wales v Queensland at Sydney, 18 Nov 2001 CricInfo Live Report

ING Cup: New South Wales v Queensland at Sydney, 18 Nov 2001
Claire Killeen

Queensland innings: Qld 25 overs, Qld 50 overs,
New South Wales innings: NSW 25 overs, NSW won by 5 wickets,

WAUGH, HIGGS HOIST BLUES TO UNLIKELY WIN

From the brink of disaster, New South Wales has grasped a thrilling ING Cup victory over Queensland by five wickets and with three deliveries to spare here at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.

A captain's knock - in the form of a wonderful century - from Steve Waugh (101*) and the fastest fifty of the season from left hander Mark Higgs (63*) turned the game around, completely swinging the momentum in favour of the Blues.

Set a revised target of 250 runs to win from a rain-reduced maximum of 44 overs, the New South Wales upper and middle order found that grey clouds and strong winds were not their only problems. Andy Bichel (59* and 2/38), the man who had earlier slayed them with the bat, was also lethal with the ball.

But a timely, unbroken partnership of 105 between Waugh and Higgs ultimately saw them devastate a Queensland bowling attack that had been well on top by the time that the home team slumped to a score of 5/147. When they were joined, the Blues needed as many as 103 runs from a maximum 75 deliveries to win but they performed the job in cool and calculating style, with aggressive shots to both sides of the wicket.

The Blues duly remained the only unbeaten team in the competition and also gained an important psychological edge over the Bulls ahead of next week's Pura Cup game in Brisbane.

Higgs smashed his way to the quickest fifty of the season with a brilliant innings that included six fours and one six. His running between the wickets with Waugh was also a standout. Tasmania's Michael Di Venuto and Queensland's Andrew Symonds (each with half-centuries from 33 balls) had previously held the record for this season, and Waugh was quick to acknowledge the outstanding effort of his young teammate in overhauling them.

"He had an exceptional innings, his placement was excellent, he could not have played a better innings," Waugh said.

Higgs, too, believed it was probably the best he had ever seen the ball.

"It was good fun. I'm not sure I have actually (hit the ball better). It was one of those better days," Higgs said.

The daring and brash manner of the partnership had a good-natured crowd chanting and clapping almost every ball after a day of stop-start cricket.

After it had earlier caused a delayed start, rain also interrupted the second session of play and made life difficult for the NSW batsmen early. The quick departures of Brad Haddin (0) and Mark Waugh (4) represented major setbacks and it was only when Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan (56) came together that the Blues' batsmen genuinely found their feet.

Even the national captain was fortunate to remain at the crease for as long as he did, though. On 11, the ball seemed to brush his gloves as he flicked at a Bichel delivery on the line of his hip on its way through to the hands of wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe. The Queensland appeal was vociferous but umpire Terry Keel remained unmoved.

Waugh also slashed twice into the vicinity of the slips cordon, but survived both times. On the latter occasion, the ball flew at head height between Stuart Law and Martin Love but each seemed to believe it was the other's catch.

Around another rain delay that caused six overs to be wiped from the innings, Bevan was caught behind off the bowling of James Hopes (1/50) and Michael Slater (2) and Shane Lee (7) quickly joined him in the pavilion. It was Bichel who accounted for Slater by trapping him plumb in front, and Lee was then caught brilliantly by Jimmy Maher, diving fully outstretched to his left.

New South Wales' problems looked to be mounting even further given that Waugh appeared at least once to need to stretch the calf which he injured during the recent Ashes tour.

Earlier, Queensland's score of 7/274 owed much to the batting of Bichel, Maher (57) and Seccombe (37) at different ends of the innings. Bichel was especially impressive as he clattered his way to his highest score in domestic one-day cricket in Australia. Like their opponents, the Bulls suffered a lapse in the middle stages of their innings, and it was essentially only Bichel's ability to score at consistently better than a run-a-ball and hit shots into gaps that hoisted them to their final tally. With the combative right hander in great touch, as many as 17 runs were plundered from the 49th over of the innings.

"He is an excellent cricketer who always gives 100% and who is always at you. He is one guy who always gives 100% so you have to respect him," said Waugh of Bichel's efforts today.

The NSW pace attack lacked its usual potency, with Glenn McGrath (2/36) and Brett Lee (0/44) each struggling to make early incisions. Nathan Bracken (2/58) was impressive, though, and even snared the vital wickets of Love (30) and Maher with consecutive deliveries at one point. Albeit that he was expensive at times, Stuart MacGill (3/56) also made an important contribution to the Blues' win.

BEVAN, WAUGH REINVIGORATE DIFFICULT NSW CHASE

With the covers off and play delayed for only a few minutes after lunch, New South Wales was looking for a strong start in its run chase against Queensland.

What the Blues were up against was a fired up Andy Bichel, fresh from his 59 not out and looking for wickets and perhaps Test selection. The 31-year old came out hungry and he quickly tied up Brad Haddin (0). Haddin arrived in characteristically aggressive mood but swung wildly outside the line of off, picked out Nathan Hauritz at short mid on, and was out for a duck.

Haddin had already been given one lifeline two balls earlier after wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe got his gloves to a nick but failed to hang on.

The score was only on three at the time and NSW clearly needed some consolidation. Mark Waugh (4) looked to be the man to offer it when he struck an elegant shot to the deep cover boundary. From the next delivery, though, he was bowled by Michael Kasprowicz after chopping the ball back into his stumps.

A more settled consolidation period duly followed, with Michael Bevan (51*) and Steve Waugh (48*) happy to let balls go and play defensive shots - much to the chagrin of some of the Blues' supporters who had come to see slightly more entertaining cricket.

In the seventh over, Waugh survived a strong appeal from the Queenslanders after what seemed to be a deflection off his gloves as he played off the line of the hip at Bichel. There were further slices of good fortune for him when he slashed twice in the vicinity of first and second slip. On the second of the two occasions, Stuart Law and Martin Love stayed as unmoved as the umpire had done a few minutes earlier.

Waugh and Bevan then started to liven things up with shots to all parts of the ground. Both were in authoritative touch, at first trying to keep up with Duckworth-Lewis par score and then exceeding it.

Bevan reached his half-century in the 24th over - from a total of 68 deliveries - with a four to extra cover.

With the rain clouds holding their distance for the moment, NSW is at 2/114, needing a further 161 runs off the maximum 25 overs that remain.

BICHEL LIFTS BULLS TO IMPOSING TALLY

New South Wales captain Steve Waugh is marshalling his troops for the first time this season but didn't immediately find the job a particularly easy one as Queensland amassed a score of 7/274 at the outset of today's ING Cup match between the teams here at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Waugh was forced to use seven bowlers after winning the toss and sending the Bulls into bat in a clash between the two previously-unbeaten teams.

Andy Bichel (59*) provided particular headaches, smashing his highest score in domestic one-day cricket in Australia and even having the temerity to register his half-century - from just 39 balls - with a huge six over the head of Nathan Bracken (2/58).

It was Bichel's ability to score at consistently better than a run-a-ball and hit shots into gaps that was chiefly responsible for Queensland reaching such a high total. His play in the 49th over - from which 17 runs were taken - was crucial.

Though Bracken and Stuart MacGill (3/56) caused problems for the top and middle order, the bowling performances of Australian spearheads, Glenn McGrath (2/36 off nine overs) and Brett Lee (0/44 from eight), were below their usually potent standards.

Poor fielding also made life difficult for the Blues. There were misjudged attempts at catches, overrun balls, and some wild returns were thrown.

The Bulls' score also owed much to the batting at the top of the order of Jimmy Maher (57), who joined with Martin Love (30) and Matthew Hayden (14) to set the side away to a fine start.

Maher's runs came off 66 deliveries in 106 minutes - with only 20 of that score coming from boundaries. Intelligent shot selection and placement - as well as constructive running between the wickets - underpinned his innings.

Bracken, meanwhile, was impressive in a first spell that netted figures of 2/28. Importantly, he snared the prized wickets of Maher and Love from consecutive deliveries to leave himself on a hat-trick at one stage.

MacGill's bowling, though expensive, was also handy. He foiled the Bulls' attempts to accelerate the scoring rate in the middle stages of the innings by securing a top edge from the cutting Andrew Symonds (26), trapping Clinton Perren (22) in front of his stumps, and drawing a top edged sweep from captain Stuart Law (14).

With a large target confronting them, and rain beginning to fall quite heavily during the shortened lunch break, the Blues may be in for torrid time when play resumes.

AFTER THE STORM, BULLS MAKE ENTERPRISING START

The effects of an overnight thunderstorm delayed the start of play, but the sun is now shining brightly to permit joint competition leaders New South Wales and Queensland the chance to begin hostilities in this ING Cup match here at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

After being invited to bat first by their opponents on a pitch expected to contain early life, the visitors have reached a score of 3/113 after 25 overs.

There was a 20-minute delay in the starting time but, once the Bulls' opening pair of Jimmy Maher (57) and Matthew Hayden (14) arrived in the middle, they made a strong and positive start. Constructive shot selection featured and the pair also showed an excellent understanding in their running between the wickets.

Maher was particularly impressive as he set about creating the platform for a formidable total for the Bulls. His aggressive strokeplay earned him a half-century by as early as the 20th over, arriving from just 59 deliveries in total and containing the nice mixture of 15 singles, seven twos, two threes and four shots to the boundary.

Australian duo Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee took the new ball at the start of the match for the Blues and were soon creating some half-chances. The first missed opportunity arrived in the third over from Lee when Stuart Clark misjudged the flight of a shot at mid on and allowed a potential catch to sail over his head to long on instead. Later in the over, a fired-up Lee then attempted to run out Maher at the striker's end but missed the stumps and fired the ball into Maher's back.

It was an attempted pull shot by Hayden which eventually gave NSW its first wicket. The ball clipped a top edge and sent a McGrath delivery skyward. The slips cordon were all in chase, with the duties of catching finally falling to Mark Waugh.

Another chance for a wicket came in Nathan Bracken's first over. A thick edge from Martin Love (30) took the ball over a leaping Waugh's head and it rapidly steamed away to the third man boundary.

There was also a great piece of exertion from Lee when he dived a long way in the hope of catching a cracking stroke by Maher at long off. The flyer landed a metre away from Lee, who was unable to save the four runs.

Bracken swung the game back the Blues' way when he eventually lured Love into sending the ball skyward from a mistimed pull stroke and then yorked Maher with the very next delivery of the 25th over.

A rousing reception greeted Bracken's attempt at a hat-trick but the ball was well left by incoming batsman, Clinton Perren (0*).