New South Wales and Queensland have contrasting goals when they meet at Drummoyne Oval, with the former looking to further stretch their dominance, the latter endeavouring to turn their tournament around. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 1:45pm (AEDT).
Last season was a good one for Queensland, finishing second on the table after only losing to one team.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, they lost to that one team three times, including once in the elimination final. That team was NSW.
The year before that, Queensland chased NSW’s 317 to lift the trophy.
These two teams have been thorns in each other’s sides now for some time, largely due to the strength and evenness of both sides. Yet this year things have been very different.
NSW hit top gear on Day 1, demolishing the naive Cricket Australia XI by 279 runs. Since then they have not once erred, with none of their four matches being a question of win or lose but of how many bonus points they’ll take in victory.
NSW opening bowlers have certainly showed why it is called a bowling ‘attack’. Garinder Sandhu and Mitchell Starc are the leading two wicket-takers in the competition, though Starc has more than twice as many as his counterpart – his 19 giving him an average of just under five a game this tournament.
While both are also very useful at the death, Queensland’s openers, Joe Burns and Chris Hartley, may need to dig their heels in for the first 10 to give their side a chance, particularly as they have missed Chris Lynn and Usman Khawaja, who are both injured.
NSW’s opening pair with the bat have started strongly throughout. Despite the opposing techniques of Nic Maddinson and Ed Cowan, they have only once failed to reach the fifty partnership in this competition, and have twice taken their side past the hundred mark without losing a wicket. This is particularly useful when Steve Smith sits at three.
Early inroads with the new ball may well be the key to a victory for Queensland. If NSW have any weakness, it is that they are one specialist batsman short.
Queensland do not lack bowlers capable of worrying the opposition, it is just the decision of which opening pair to use – thus far they have used three different duos in three game.
Among Queensland’s healthy pace-bowling stocks are youngsters Mark Steketee and Billy Stanlake. Both have height and pace and look very awkward to face, particularly when the ball is still hard. Queensland may opt for these two to try and break into NSW’s top order.
If not, there is still plenty of pace-bowling strength in the squad, with the more seasoned James Hopes and Ben Cutting also options.
Prediction
The undefeated NSW are the clear favourites for this match, but anyone who has watched Queensland the past few seasons in this competition will feel there is more to come from this talent-rich side.
If Queensland fully utilise that talent they are a genuine chance, anything less and NSW will cruise to their fifth victory of the tournament.
Adsa
Guest
Ooh Klaus I just thought I would check the score, nasty stuff for the Bulls.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Final score NSW 6/304 QLD 158 (39.1)
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
NSW have once again thoroughly outclassed their opposition with QLD unable to truly mount a challenge. Things started well for QLD who got the wicket of Maddinson in the first over. The two sides wrestled for dominance until Smith and Henriques got together to form a massive partnership. Smith making 136 not out. NSW finished with 304 and QLD never really got going, their run rate below three an over for most their innings and wickets falling constantly. Hazlewood was brilliant on his return and started QLD's downfall with the wicket of Hartley, Lyon took four and O'Keefe was also good with two of his own. QLD are now left with little chance of making the top three with only four points next to their name.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Feldman caught deep 31 An exciting innings from Feldman and a less exciting innings from QLD comes to an end as Feldman hauls out to Henriques at deep mid wicket off the bowling of Lyon. Lyon finishes with 4/31 off 6.1 overs. Maybe enough to make him a consideration for Australia's one day squad.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 39 2,1,.,.,.,. Queensland: 8/158 Chasing (305) Feldman: 32 Stanlake: 0 Abbott is left with his head in his hands as Stanlake plays and misses at all of the four balls he faced, it may have paid to put one on the stumps.
Simoc
Guest
What a pathetic Queensland batting effort it has been. Reardon, Forrest and Burns for a long time never looked interested in turning over the strike. They seemed to have given up on the game prior to batting.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 38 W,6,.,6,1,. Queensland: 8/155 Chasing (305) Feldman: 29 Stanlake: 0 Feldman has now taken away the double bonus point from NSW. Not that you imagine that would stop NSW from finishing top of the table. Abbott is back on after an impressive first spell.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Feldman goes again and it's huge again, this time over square leg. He has plenty of power and is adding some excitement to this game.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Massive six from Feldman as he smashes Lyon into the car park. That's his third.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Burns caught deep 77 Lyon comes back on and first ball pick up Burns' wicket. Lyon obviously knew Burns would go after him and bowled it at Burns' pads to cramp him for room. Burns went for the big six but got under it too much. He still almsot cleared the man but Henriques was allowed a fairly simple catch at deep square leg.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Lyon is back on.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 37 4,.,.,6,1,6 Queensland: 8/142 Chasing (305) Feldman: 16 Burns: 77 New South Wales have been near perfect today but are struggling to finish things off. Both batters hit Sandhu for six there. Burns was first with a pull shot before Feldman forced a ball over point with sheer strength to earn his second six.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 36 .,.,.,.,1,. Queensland: 8/125 Chasing (305) Feldman: 10 Burns: 66 O'Keefe finishes his ten overs well as Burns tries to get at him to no avail. O'Keefe finishes with 2/43 though most the runs that came off him were after the game was already gone.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 35 .,6.,.,.,. Queensland: 8/124 Chasing (305) Feldman: 10 Burns: 65 Sandhu hasn't quite been at his best today, which isn't to say he has been bad, he has just been bowling the odd loose one for the batters to take hold of. Even despite his brilliant six Burns didn't take a single off the last ball that would have kept Feldman on strike.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Six, what a shot from Feldman. Sandhu gave him room and Feldman heaved it over cover. Not bad for a tailender.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 34 1,1,4,4,.,6 Queensland: 8/118 Chasing (305) Feldman: 4 Burns: 65 Burns has decided he will try and give QLD fans something to smile about as he is now going for broke. The last ball O'Keefe dropped short and Burns freed his arms and pulled it over the man in the deep and over the fence.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 33 1,1lb,1,.,.,1 Queensland: 8/102 Chasing (305) Feldman: 3 Burns: 50 ' Burns brings up his fifty off the final ball of the over. It's a hard innings to judge as he has been slow to score and now that he seems set the game is already lost. Sandu could probably afford to bowl a bit fuller.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 32 1,1,1,.,1,4 Queensland: 8/98 Chasing (305) Feldman: 1 Burns: 49 That was actually a good over for QLD, one of the first as Burns hit a powerful sweep into the fence off the last ball. It will be interesting to see how he plays now with only two wickets left.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 31 1,.,1,.,1,W Queensland: 8/90 Chasing (305) Feldman: 0 Burns: 43 Sandhu wasn't at his best in his first spell but has returned well with QLD on their knees.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Boyce caught behind 5 Sandhu now gets in on the action. It is a typical delivery from Sandhu, just short of a length and going off stump. Boyce barely moved his feet and critically didn't show the full face of the bat, getting a faint edge through to Neville who took the catch with the ball just off the turf as it died a bit off the pitch. Feldman is now in.