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Seven centuries were scored across three games on the opening day of the Matador Barbeques one day domestic cup in Sydney yesterday in searing heat.
With runs flowing it would have made those who missed out on the tour to Bangladesh feel like they were playing on the sub-continent anyway.
While it was a day for the batsman to stand up and be counted, two sides struggled to post solid totals in their games which led to two very one sided victories. Queensland and the newly inducted Cricket Australia XI made up of some of the brightest young players in the country both failed to post solid scores.
The most incredible game of the day took place at Hurstville Oval. The Western Australian Warriors took on the South Australian Redbacks. Records would tumble right throughout the game as the Warriors won the toss and elected to bat first.
By the innings break it was looking like it might have been over. The Warriors managed to post 4/350, on the back of an awesome century to Cameron Bancroft. His 176 from just 155 balls was a Western Australia List A cricket record for most runs in an innings as he took it right to the South Australian bowling attack.
His opening partner, Shaun Marsh also passed a century, making 109 in a 216-run opening partnership.
Mitchell Marsh would be the best out of the middle order, making a quick fire 34 from 18 as they tried to up the tempo and run rate to the end of the innings. Tom Andrews was the best of the bowlers, taking 2/66 from 9 overs.
South Australia started aggressively, as they had to however were quickly staring down the barrel of a demoralising defeat. Losing two wickets in the first six over, and leaving them at 2/24 they looked to be in all sorts of trouble.
However, what happened next was simply amazing. Travis Head, who had been the rock through the first 10 overs, found another gear and in a partnership with Callum Ferguson down the other end quickly accelerated. The pair put on a monster 278 run stand from just 32.2 overs, burying Western Australia. Head would end up with 202 from 120 balls, Ferguson 112 from 118.
Joel Paris was the only bowler who was able to make some sort of impact, taking 3/63 from 9 overs. It was an incredible win for the Redbacks and could set the momentum for them throughout the rest of the tournament, with key batsmen looking to be in form. It was also the second highest run chase in the history of the one day domestic competition in Australia.
Moving onto a game where a recovery was made, but ultimately it was over by the 20th over of the first innings as the Queensland Bulls failed to make much of an impression against the Tasmanian Tigers.
North Sydney Oval was the scene as the Bulls slumped to 6/58 from just 19 overs. Nathan Reardon managed to hold the innings together for a brief period of time before a fightback was staged by the middle to lower order. Simon Milenko managed to top score with 40 as he and James Hopes (34) put on a 74 run partnership before Cameron Boyce (28) and Luke Feldman (33) made valuable lower order contributions, both at more than a run a ball.
Andrew Fekete, just one of the countless players who was suppose to be on the tour to Bangladesh was the pick of the bowlers taking 4/30, while he was backed up by Evan Gulbis who took 2/26 from his 7 overs.
Queensland would have been happy, considering where they were to end up with a score of 196 and would have been half backing themselves that it was enough to bowl at. However, the run chase from Tasmania was never really in doubt as they showed exactly how to bat on North Sydney Oval, reaching the total just one wicket down in 36 overs.
Ben Dunk was the man to bat right through the innings and was rewarded with a century, finishing 104 not out. Tim Paine managed to get to 39 and was the only man out to the bowling of Boyce. Dominic Michael was then able to grab him self a half century, not out in what was a comfortable victory for the Tigers.
Finally, the game everyone expected to end in a blowout. The New South Wales Blues, complete with 10 players who have at some point in their career represented Australia in one form or another, took out the youngsters in the Cricket Australia XI squad.
Winning the toss, New South Wales and Australia captain Steven Smith elected to bat which at least gave the solid crowd that had turned up for the match a chance to make a day of it. Nic Maddison and Steve Smith were the chief destroyers with the bat for the Blues as they each scored centuries and put on a 153-run stand for the second wicket.
When Maddison was dismissed for 108, Moises Henriques came to the crease and himself making 48 as he put on 100 runs with the Australian skipper. Smith meanwhile would finish the innings with a score of 143 from 122 balls.
The pick of the bowlers was Jack Wildermith who ended with 1/49 while it was a tough day for opening bowlers Liam Hatcher and Matthew Dixon who both ended with 0/86 from their 10 overs.
The run chase began and the Cricket Australia boys would have at least been hoping to mount some sought of fight, maybe bat close to all the overs out. However, Mitchell Starc had other ideas as he tore through the top order, taking 6/25 from 8.4 overs. As his team fell around him and ended up being all out for just 59, vice captain Alex Gregory stood strong and he ended 23 not out. None of his team mates made it to double figures.
Questions are already being asked about where the Cricket Australia XI team should be in the competition or not and while it is another debate for another article, you have to remember this Blues team would challenge international teams around the world.
The Blues, while they haven’t played any of the big gun teams look like they could be the ones to beat after the first day of action.
All in all a very interesting opening day of the domestic one day cup for 2015. The next match is on Wednesday as Victoria open their campaign and get to have a crack at the Cricket Australia XI team from Hurstville Oval.
What did you make of the opening day Roarers?
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde