Pura Cup: New South Wales v Victoria at Sydney, 19-22 Dec 2002 CricInfo Live Report

Pura Cup: New South Wales v Victoria at Sydney, 19-22 Dec 2002
Claire Killeen

New South Wales 2nd innings: Stumps,
Victoria 1st innings: Lunch, Tea,
Live Reports from previous days

VICTORIA PUSH FOR VICTORY
New South Wales started its run chase badly as the home side lost five wickets for 51 after Victoria made 269 in their first innings with a lead of 128. At stumps on day two NSW is 5 for 110 trailing by 18 runs.

Matthew Inness and Shane Harwood made life and batting difficult for the openers as Matthew Phelps and Michael Slater struggled. Phelps after looking indecisive for a number of overs finally played a positive shot only to see it end in hands of Ian Harvey at gully and the NSW opener departed for two.

This brought Nathan Bracken to the crease in the role of nightwatchman, some two hours before the close of play. The quick made seven runs before he was caught behind with an excellent catch by Darren Berry. The ‘keeper lunged to his right taking an enormous leap to secure Bracken’s wicket within his right glove.

Slater contributed 12 before he was out disappointedly caught behind by Berry off the bowling of Inness. The wickets of Slater and Phelps gave Inness the impressive figures of two for nine and overnight figures of two for 23.

Steve Waugh and Simon Katich dug in but were unable to break the shackles that the Victorian bowlers created. The scoring became increasingly slow until Waugh finally fell for 12 leg before wicket to Mick Lewis.

Katich departed a few overs later for nine giving Lewis his second wicket after Berry caught him poking outside the off stump and New South Wales had slumped to 5 for 59.

Then a fightback occurred from Mark Waugh and Michael Clarke. Waugh signalled his intentions when he whipped a four off his pads with the elegant and unobtrusive timing that Waugh brings with him to the crease. He made it look easy after his brother and Katich had struggled for a number of overs.

Clarke and Waugh though did not score as freely as they would have liked to, but worked hard to continually rotate the strike finding ones and twos.

WAUGH INSPIRES BLUES FIGHTBACK
Steve Waugh has added to his hopes of a World Cup berth bowling seven overs against Victoria and taking two wickets. The 37-year-old captain inspired a mini collapse as Victoria fell from the solid position of 4 for 204 to 8 for 211, losing four wickets in five overs. Victoria was all out for 269, signalling an early tea with the final six wickets falling for 65 runs.

Resuming after lunch Brad Hodge and Jonathan Moss went about slowly adding to the Victorian total- leaving many deliveries alone or just prodding them towards the on or off side.

Waugh still hopeful of making it into the World Cup squad of 15, bowled well and took important wickets. Bringing himself onto bowl, the NSW captain netted Moss in his first over with his third legitimate delivery trapping the former New South Welshman, Moss plumb leg before wicket for four after bowling a loose wide delivery first.

Stuart MacGill operating from the Randwick end keen to take wickets to prove he should be the replacement for the injured Warne snared the wicket of Hodge leg before wicket even though the Victorian was along way forward. Hodge, out eight short of his fifty, gave MacGill his first wicket of the match and Victoria had lost two wickets in two overs.

Ian Harvey came to the crease and added just two runs before Waugh bowling his medium pacers had the Victorian pinchitter out leg before wicket giving the Aussie Test skipper bowling figures of two for five off two overs.

MacGill then took the fourth wicket in this impressive bowling display from the Blues when he bowled the Victorian captain Darren Berry around his legs for four.

The Victorian innings was stabilised with Cameron White and Shane Harwood keeping the strike and the score ticking over. With the new ball taken and the quick’s back into the attack, Stuart Clark got the ninth wicket of the innings when White fell on 22 leg before wicket.

Shane Harwood fell for 15 when he came forward to play a MacGill delivery. He missed and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin stumped the paceman. Matthew Inness was the not out batsmen on 18 not out.

VICTORIA SECURE FIRST INNINGS POINT
Victoria has secured first innings points against New South Wales after they surpassed the home side’s total of 141 during the first session. Currently Victoria are 4 for 197 at lunch.

Graeme Rummans and Brad Hodge have continued to power on and build a lead over New South Wales. Neither has played a cracking innings, instead an innings made of ability and taking calculated chances.

Rummans and Hodge have seen off experienced campaigner, Stuart Clark and Nathan Bracken- leaving the duo wicketless to this point in the match.

Doug Bollinger has shown he has the skills to make it at this level, though he would be disappointed two chances were not taken off his bowling. The first was a difficult dive with Mark Waugh at second slip fully extending to his right and unable to produce the goods. The dropped catch ran away for four giving Graeme Rummans his fifty and New South Wales a headache. Waugh also missed taking a catch off Stuart MacGill after the spinner turned it a mile, grazing Hodge’s bat and Waugh spilled it at first slip.

Later, Rummans attempting to cut a delivery from Bollinger, almost deflected the ball onto his stumps. The 21-year-old finally got his wicket when Rummans on 67 decided to go fishing outside the off stump. His toying edge went through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and Bollinger had his fourth scalp.

Hodge is 37 not out with Jonathan Moss three not out at lunch on day two.