In a repeat of last season’s final New South Wales and Western Australia will do battle at Blacktown International Sports Park on Saturday afternoon. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 1.45pm (AEDT).
While New South Wales seems to always churn out a strong side, Western Australian were dominant in last year’s competition and eventually in the final where they beat New South Wales by 64 runs.
In fact the only game they lost was by the margin of single run against Queensland.
Yet already this year Western Australia have faltered. Their opening game on Monday seemed to be going brilliantly as Shaun Marsh and Cameron Bancroft put on a mammoth opening stand of 216, Bancroft going on to make 176.
But their bowling, which was incredibly reliable last year, was decimated by Travis Head whose double hundred, accompanied by a Callum Ferguson ton, meant South Australia chased down Western Australia’s 350 quite comfortably.
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Last season Nathan Coulter-Nile was Western Australia’s main aggressor, he finished the tournament with 14 wickets at an average of 10.07, but he is now absent through injury and the pressure falls on the other pacemen.
Amongst them is Jason Behrendorff who was named State Player of the Year at last season’s Allan Border Medal and now finds himself as one of the squads more senior bowlers.
Behrendorff was by no means exempt from South Australia’s onslaught on Monday, but perhaps deserves some leeway as he hadn’t played since the Big Bash due to injury. Regardless of the effect of that injury, Western Australia may well be relying on him for early wickets against a strong New South Wales top order.
New South Wales’ top order has certainly been strong, Steve Smith in particular has been dominant top scoring in both their games, but the fact their opposition have only registered scores of 59 and 110 shows they also have strength with the ball.
While it is questionable how strong a test the Cricket Australia XI is, having bowled the side that chased 350 against Western Australia out for 110 speaks volumes of New South Wales bowling strength.
There is no doubt that all the New South Wales bowlers have contributed to their opposition’s demise, but Mitchell Starc has been the main instigator with 10 wickets already to his name.
His start to this year’s competition looks even more remarkable when you consider his opening partner, Gurinder Sandhu, topped the wickets table in last season’s completion with 15 wickets. Both Starc and Sandhu will be responsible for making early inroads into Western Australia’s proven top order.
Even with Western Australia’s early slip up it is still fair to consider this a game between title contenders. Both sides are layered with experience and star players, but New South Wales dominant start to the competition, which has seen them pick up double bonus points in each of their first two fixtures, makes them favourites for when the two sides meet on Saturday.
josh
Roar Rookie
Mitchell Starc with the white ball is like Warne crica 94/95. Each time he bowls you want stop and watch. I only shops had TVs in the front windows showing the cricket nowadays.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Agree on Maddison, he is really setting himself up for bigger honours. Wouldn't be surprised to see him in the ODI team this summer, at least. And yep, I said it below, but I don't know how they can omit a bloke who averaged 60 in last years Matador cup in Carters, for Watson who looks a shell of his former self. It's not just that he hasn't scored any runs, but the ways he has gone out. Very poor.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Shane Watson's place will be under scrutiny after his second failure with the bat from two matches. His slipping is as good as ever with one good catch and a near screamer yesterday. But with him not bowling he has to score runs to keep his place.
Craig Swanson
Guest
I am liking what I am seeing from Nic Maddinson this year. He is now building into his innings rather than going too early and throwing away his wicket. He has long been mooted as the next big thing but has lacked consistency in the past. A bolter for the ODI Tri series?
Craig Swanson
Guest
The Blues have avenged last years final in emphatic fashion. They mauled the Warriors with pace spearhead Mitchell Starc continuing his great form. He was ably supported by our next ODI bowler Gurinder Sandhu. Surely he has put now put his name to the front of the pack for a spot in the Tri series later in the summer. He is such a clever bowler.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Big win against probably the most competitive team in the comp, other than themselves. The game against the Vics is shaping to be a big one. This is all considering Hazlewood isn't even playing. I would also add, I'd much rather see Carters in this team than Watson. I honestly think he is a spent force.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Final score NSW: 5/264 WA: 189 (44.4)
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
With WA bowled out for just 189 it is easy to say NSW's bowlers won the game for them, but on a very tough pitch for batting they did brilliantly to make 264. That score was largely down to a patient opening partnership between Cowan and Maddinson, the former going on to make a high quality century. WA still would've felt they had a fair chance of chasing down the runs with a strong batting order, but they were brought to their knees by a fantastic opening spell by Sandhu and Starc who ran through WA's top order and had the, 4/18. Whiteman and Klinger offered some hope for their side with a resilient partnership, but they both fell in the same Sandhu over and the game was as good as gone. NSW now have a great chance to finish on top of the table and go straight through to the final.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Tye bowled 0 Starc has four as he hits the top of Tye's off stump with another bowl that keeps low. Tye tried to defend it but the bowl eluded the outside edge. It was Starc's first spell, however, that almost immediatly decimated WA's hopes of reaching the 265 NSW set for them.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 44 1,4,.,1,.,W Western Australia: 9/188 Chasing (265) Tye: 0 Behrendorff: 11 A well bowled over from Abbott with the tail going for quick runs against him. He has been expensive at times today with 2/39 off his seven overs.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Paris bowled 16 Not a bad innings by Paris but as Abbott bowled a back of a length ball that kept low Paris ended up playing across the line and having his stumps rattled. Abbott now has two to his name. Tye is last in.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 43 1,1,.,4,.,. Western Australia: 8/182 Chasing (265) Paris: 15 Behrendorff: 6 A couple of nice drives from Behrendorff showing he can bat as WA try to deny NSW a bonus point. Starc doesn't quite have the menace he did in his first spell but is still challenging the batters.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 42 .,W,2,1,.,. Western Australia: 8/176 Chasing (265) Paris: 14 Behrendorff: 1 Abbott has bowled pretty well today and gets a wicket here for his efforts. Paris is now taking up where Agar left off and is throwing the bat at a few.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Agar caught deep 31 An entertaining innings from Agar comes to an end as he hauls out to Nathan Lyon in the deep of a straight delivery from Shaun Abbott. It didn't seem to be a full blooded stroke but Agar hit the ball well enough that it comfortably carried to Lyon who was at deep mid on. Behrendorff comes in.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 41 1,.,.,1,1,4lb Western Australia: 7/172 Chasing (265) Paris: 11 Agar: 31 Starc back and peppering the batters with yorkers, Agar and Paris deal with it well as there is also some movement now as the bowl gets old.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Some reverse swing here for Starc.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 40 .,4,.,.,4,. Western Australia: 7/165 Chasing (265) Paris: 10 Agar: 29 Unlucky from Abbott. Neville should have taken a catch that he missed completley as it went for four and Watson dropped Paris the last ball at slip, in all honesty though he did well to reach it. Starc returns.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Paris edges one between keeper and slip for four as Abbott returns.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 39 .,1,6,.,2,2 Western Australia: 7/157 Chasing (265) Paris: 2 Agar: 29 Agar is batting beautifully , he is now 29 off 20 and clubbed a brilliant six over mid on from Sandhue. This is the only occasion anyone has seemed comfortable against Sandhu who finishes his ten with 4/29.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 38 6,.,3,.,.,1 Western Australia: 7/146 Chasing (265) Paris: 1 Agar: 19 Agar has played some really nice shots in this short innings and most of them have been off Lyon's bowling. Lyon's figures are currently none for 50 of nine overs, not his best day even if those figures are a bit harsh.