Bulls retain Ryobi Cup as NSW give up big haul

Queenslanders Ben Cutting and Cgris Lynn know how to close out a tight game. With just eight balls left, and 18 runs to get in the Ryobi Cup final, Cutting cut loose.

BANG – a huge six off Josh Hazlewood over wide long on – 12 to get off seven.

BANG – next ball, another huge six by Cutting off Hazlewood landing in the famous Moreton Bay fig tree at the northern end of the ground – six to get off six.

BANG – next ball as Lynn got in the act with another big six off Gurinder Sandhu’s final over, and it was all over in three shots. Comprehensive and clean.

So the Bulls retained the Ryobi Cuo by five wickets with five deliveries up their sleeve, denying NSW their first one-day title in eight years.

The difference between the two sides on the day – Usman Khawaja, and the opening stands.

Khawaja’s 104 off 100 with 13 fours and two sixes compared to David Warner’s 14 off 13 with two fours and a six.

And the opening stands, Khawja and Chris Hartley’s 1-165 off 30.3 overs, to Warner and Peter Nevill’s 1-25 off 5.4 overs.

The big question why didn’t Warner take the first ball of the game? He was the king pin, but Nevill had the honour and hogged 11 of the first 12 deliveries for just one run while Warner was champing at the bit at the bowler’s end.

Bad call, and a telling one with the inevitable result Warner tried a cow shot and paid the penalty (regardless of the no-ball incident).

While Queensland can give themselves a genuine salute, NSW will rue their inexcusable lapses. A total of 317 was very defendable, but not when you bowl a lot of rubbish, and field badly.

The only exception was Test offie Nathan Lyon who toiled manfully for his 1-29 off 10.

There were some interesting stats out of this tournament in the new format of all games played in Sydney at suburban grounds – Bankstown, Blacktown, Drummoyne, and North Sydney.

Just eight centuries in 20 games, where 297 wickets fell, is an extraordinary low conversion rate, when there were 54 half-centuries.

Warner scored three tons – a record high 197, 139, and 138, the other five Michael Klinger 140*, Shaun Marsh 119, Dan Christian 117, Khawaja 104, and Tom Cooper 101.

Warner topped the run-getters with 541 at 67.62 from Khawaja 426 at 71 and Cameron White 387 at 77.40.

But White took out the Man of the Series with his consistency – 86, 82*, 51, 76, 50, and 42, failing just once to crack the half-century.

The highest average went to Cutting. In just four digs he cracked 98*, 17, 39, and 41* for any average of 97.80. Add his 10 wickets at 29.80 and he’s a very handy cricketer.

Blues’ Sean Abbott took the most wickets – 16 at 20.93, but fell away in the final, Andrew Tye (WA) was next best with 13 at 19.30, with Jon Holland (Victoria), 12 at 27.33 and Hazlewood’s 12 at 30.83.

Tye’s 19.30 was the best average of the tournament while the best individual stat belongs to medium pacer Luke Feldman (WA) with his 5-57 against the Vics.

In the end the best team on the day won, and gave the good Sunday crowd at picturesque North Sydney grand fare for their $10, and free to those under 18.

I had extra value with a Queenslander sitting behind me giving a ball-by-ball description to an American couple explaining the vagaries of cricket.

I venture to say the Americans left with no knowledge gleaned whatsoever, sporting a massive migraine. “Them’s” the breaks. Well played Bulls.