Blues v. Tigers - Pura Cup

[couragous cloke]

This is going to be another ripper.. i think the Blues will win but wouldnt be surprised if tazzie pulled it off again..

[Donny]

In the 15th. over, Tassie is 1/32. Lee dismissed Cox for 9.

One thing's for sure, Anthony, teams will think twice about setting the Tigers a target in the secong innings. They'll be lucky to chase anything under 6 r.p.o. from now on.

[Donny]

Mason is 37 n.o. and Tassie are 3/97.

Lee has 2/32 from 10 overs.

[Donny]

Mason made 51, Dighton, 69 and Marsh, 45 as Tassie got to 8/270 at stumps.

Lee took 4 wickets but must be a bit of a worry for the Australian selectors as he went for 105 from his 21 overs whereas Bracken bowled 16 maidens from 29 overs for 1/47. Clark was also very economical, his 18 overs returning him 1/33.

[Donny]

Tassie are consolidating with a good, 56 run partnership from Clingeleffer and Griffith.

Clingeleffer is 51 n.o. and The Tigers are 8/317.

[Donny]

The Tigers made 322. Lee took 5/124 from 30. 1/19 today from 9 overs.

The Blues are 3/146. Katich scored a quick 53 and Bevan is 46 n.o.

[Donny]

Bevan is 110 n.o. at stumps in a NSW score of 4/255.

Thornely is 45 n.o. These two have an unfinished partnership of 95 which has put The Blues back into the picture. They are 67 runs behind.

[Donny]

Bevan scores 25th SCG ton December 20, 2003 Fox Sports

WHAT about Michael Bevan?

As debate rages over whether Martin Love, Michael Clarke, Darren Lehmann or Brad Hodge should replace Steve Waugh in the Australian Test team next summer, the 33-year-old Bevan proved he remained one of the most prolific batsmen in the country today with a faultless century for NSW in the Pura Cup match against Tasmania.

His 25th century at the SCG for NSW – an unbeaten 110 – pushed the Blues to 4-255 at stumps on day two in reply to Tasmania's first innings of 322.

The national selectors appeared to close the Test door on Bevan many years ago.

He's never even mentioned as a candidate these days but with an average of 76 in the Pura Cup last season, a wealth of international one-day experience, more than 9000 first-class runs, renowned calmness under pressure and limitless ambition, his claims are probably as good as anyone's.

Supposedly suspect against the short ball, Bevan pulled a bouncer from the sharpish Andrew Downton to reach his 59th first-class century. It was his 25th first-class ton at the SCG, three more than Sir Donald Bradman and Alan Kippax.

Still a regular in the Australian limited overs side, Bevan said at the start of the season he hadn't given up hope of wearing the baggy green cap again. He's probably on the wrong side of 30 years of age, though.

While NSW coach Steve Rixon can count on Bevan in a mini-crisis, he must be pulling his hair out over Mark Waugh.

Waugh, having one last season before swanning off into retirement, came up with another frustratingly short but sweet innings when his side needed something more substantial.

Blessed with all the natural talent in the world and a long and illustrious Test career, the 38-year-old Waugh was expected to be a force to be reckoned with as the Blues attempted to defend the Cup this season.

He's yet to deliver.

Arriving at the crease at 3-99, Waugh got off the mark first ball with a trademark flick off his legs to the fence, then peeled off four more quick boundaries to reach 20 in a hurry. He didn't have a hair out of place.

But on 28, when he was making it all look so easy, he missed a seemingly innocuous ball from medium-pacer Adam Griffith to be clean bowled.

His 41-ball knock gave him 300 runs from nine innings this season at an average of 37.5.

It's not bad, but not brilliant and Rixon would be hoping for more from one of the most brilliant batsmen of all time.

The Blues were rescued from the perils of 2-29 by Simon Katich (53) and Bevan in a 70-run partnership. Bevan and Waugh put on 61, then Bevan and allrounder Dominic Thornely (43no) conspired to put on 95 runs late in the day.

NSW fast bowler Brett Lee finished with 5-124 from 30 overs in a promising effort ahead of his certain Test recall next week.

Rightly or wrongly, there's little hope of Bevan joining him.

[Donny]

Bevan is 129 n.o. and Thornely, 69 n.o. as NSW move to within 21 runs of first innings points.

[Donny]

An eventful over from Doherty.

Bevan gets dropped - a sitter, Thornely smacks him for 4 and then gets stumped, for 81.

NSW now in the lead.

[Donny]

Bevan moves on to 162 n.o. as NSW lead by 30 with 4 wickets in hand.

[Donny]

NSW all out for 462, 140 ahead.

Bevan made 216. Doherty took 4/142 and Marsh, 2/49.

[Donny]

At stumps, The Tigers are 2/105, 35 behind.

Shane Watson is on 56 n.o.

[Donny]

Watson went on to his highest first class score, 157, as The Tigers set The Blues 176 to win from 22 overs.

Katich took 4/42 and Bracken, 3/55

With an excellent 85 from 60 balls by Jaques and 53 from 49 to Bevan, The Blues were in a position to win but Katich could only manage a two from the last ball which tied the scores.

For the second time in three weeks Tasmania were involved in a match which ended as a draw with the scored tied but this time it was them denying the other team valuable points.

[Donny]

Our crystal ball gazer was close ... First post in this topic.

"This is going to be another ripper.. i think the Blues will win but wouldnt be surprised if tazzie pulled it off again.."
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Shattered NSW draws with Tas - Fox Sports

SIMON Katich was shattered.

He shouldn't have been.

It wasn't his fault.

Katich hit two runs instead of the three required for an outright victory by New South Wales in the Pura Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground today after Phil Jaques clobbered 85 runs off 60 balls and Michael Bevan played a typically composed supporting role to send the Blues within a whisker of what would have been a miraculous result.

The game ended in a draw – scores tied – when NSW, chasing 176 runs from 22 overs, reached 3-175 during a frenetic final session.

The Blues needed ten runs from the final over with Katich and big-hitting wicketkeeper Nathan Pilon at the crease. Tasmania's young left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty was the bowler. Katich stroked the last ball to mid-on, scampered through for two, turned for a highly doubtful third ... and Pilon ordered him back.

"We stuck at it well all day and thought we were a chance to have a chase late this afternoon but as it turned out, we were just short," said a downcast Katich.

"It's very disappointing."

Asked if he blamed Pilon for not attempting a third run, Katich said: "You can't blame anyone. We never got back for three. That's the nature of the game. We didn't get there. I'm not disappointed about anything apart from the fact we didn't get six points. We nearly made something out of nothing at the end there."

Jaques motored to his half-century off only 33 balls and with renowned Australian one-day player Bevan milking 53 from 49 balls, the Blues were right in the hunt.

Jaques' stumping off the impressive bowling of Doherty, so cool under pressure, stemmed the run flow at a crucial moment and left the Blues 2-131 in the 18th over.

Katich's 13 runs from eight balls and Pilon's 19 off 14 got the Blues close, but they remained second last on the ladder. Incredibly, it's the second time in 12 days Tasmania have finished a game with scores tied – and not earned a point.

NSW fast bowler Brett Lee, recalled this morning alongside Katich and Nathan Bracken in the Australian team for the Boxing Day Test, took the field in high spirits but failed to take a wicket all day as Tasmanian allrounder Shane Watson made a career-best 157 to ensure the visitors reached the relative safety of 9-315.

Michael Di Venuto could not bat for Tasmania because of a broken finger.

Bracken gave the Blues their glimmer of hope when he had Sean Clingeleffer LBW for 20, Andrew Downton caught behind for two and also took care of Watson from another catch by Pilon behind the stumps.

"We worked our butts off out there," said Bracken.

Katich chimed in with 4-42 from 13.1 overs.

Lee, who trapped Tasmania opener Jamie Cox LBW for a duck the previous evening, bowled 11 wicketless overs today to finish with 1-67 off 21, compared to Bracken's more prosperous 3-55 from 27.

"It was a bit of a bummer," said Lee of the draw.

"I'd be sitting here with a much more happy smile on my face if we'd gotten that extra run."

NSW took first innings points yesterday by making 462 in reply to Tasmania's 322.