These are heady times for sport in Queensland. And, lest anyone thought
that the tale of success might end with the Brisbane Lions' AFL premiership
triumph, it's hard to see the state's cricket team laying the momentum to
waste.
Whether the Bulls can live up to precisely the same high standards as they
have set in recent years - or indeed that the Lions have established over
the last six months - remains to be seen. But there should be few doubts
that they have an excellent chance to add to the bounty of silverware that
they have acquired for themselves of late.
The side will again commence the season as the favourite to win the Pura
Cup. Though the same form hasn't quite transmitted itself to one-day
cricket over recent years, the Bulls have established the benchmark in
first-class matches by which the performance of all their competitors is
now judged.
If a batting line-up that is led by names like Matthew Hayden, Stuart Law,
Martin Love, Jimmy Maher and Andrew Symonds doesn't create enough headaches
for rival teams, then the tale only gets better (or worse, depending on
your perspective) in the bowling. So impressive, in fact, that it's
impossible that the selectors will be able to cram Michael Kasprowicz, Andy
Bichel, Adam Dale, Ashley Noffke, Joe Dawes and Scott Muller into the same
eleven.
Just as well, for their own sake, that exciting teenager Mitchell Johnson
is still young and that Matthew Pascoe has found a berth in Tasmania's
squad.
Hayden and Symonds will likely be missing for significant periods because
of international commitments, and it's more than possible that at least one
of the bowlers will be too. That said, the side seems perfectly equipped
again to cope with disruption.
Jerry Cassell, for one, proved an effective foil last summer as Hayden's
replacement at the top of the order, and Clinton Perren and Brendan Nash
are growing quickly in stature as middle order batsmen. A range of new
talent is emerging too; Johnson is arguably as quick as Brett Lee with the
ball, James Hopes and Nathan Hauritz are polished young all-rounders, and
Chris Hartley is set to make his mark should anything untoward happen to
another unsung hero, Wade Seccombe, behind the stumps.
Strangely, Law's returns at one-day level - in both Australia and England -
have been modest by his own high standards in recent times. It might well
be that the side's fortunes in that particular form of the game hinge on
the extent to which the captain is able to turn things around.
The key player: There are plenty of excellent players in this team but it's
debatable whether there is any more valuable than Martin Love. Unflappable
even in a crisis, he is not only a wonderful batsman but also has a knack
of contributing heavily in crucial matches. His generation of a
half-century in last summer's tension-packed Pura Cup Final (when there
were doubts as to whether he had fully recovered from the effects of a
broken finger) was a characteristic example of his ability to swing things
Queensland's way exactly when it matters most.
The up-and-comer: Again a wealth of candidates from which to choose in this
squad, but James Hopes shines as brightly as any of them. Unassuming and
polite off the field yet fiercely determined on it, he has every chance of
becoming one of Australia's best all-rounders over the next few years,
especially at one-day level. Made an excellent start to his domestic
career, especially with his penetrative right arm medium pace bowling, at
the end of the last season and there should be much more of the same to
come.
The draw: Unlike each of the other five teams, Queensland's season does not
begin until the third week of October. Its first match is also of the
first-class variety, rather than a one-day fixture. But it nevertheless
still faces as hectic a start to the season as any side, and half of its
program will already be completed by Christmas. Three of the summer's last
four games will be played away from home but it otherwise looks a draw low
on complications. Its busiest months will be November and February, partly
because it meets New South Wales three times in the space of 13 days in the
former and South Australia three times in 10 in the latter.
Predicted Pura Cup finishing position: 1st
Predicted ING Cup finishing position: 5th
