Bushrangers prove too strong for Bulls

The Victorian Bushrangers have defeated the Queensland Bulls by sixty-three runs in the sides' Mercantile Mutual Cup match here at the `Gabba ground in Brisbane after thoroughly dominating the day's play. The Bulls could only muster 206 in reply to the Bushrangers' 7/269 in an innings that was hampered by continual rain interruptions, surrendering a bonus point in the process.

Earlier in the day, it had been the efforts of Victorian opening batsman Matthew Elliott (107) that laid the platform for Victoria's triumph - only its second in seven attempts in this season's domestic one-day competition. Elliott was in complete control from ball one, striking nine boundaries and two massive sixes on his way to a lovely century that spanned a total of 106 deliveries.

Starting with a bang, Elliott and opening partner Jason Arnberger (20) took the attack up to the Bulls bowlers, punishing loose deliveries and finding the boundary with ease. Elliott included seven of his boundaries and both of his sixes inside his first fifty runs as he and the remainder of the top order set about capitalising on a rare victory for captain Paul Reiffel at the toss.

Normally tight bowlers Ashley Noffke (0/61 off eight overs) and Andy Bichel (0/33 from four) proved anything but. They were rapidly hit out of the attack as a result of Elliott's onslaught - an onslaught which compelled Queensland captain Stuart Law to call on his ever-reliable pairing of Michael Kasprowicz (1/45 off eight) and Adam Dale (2/47 from ten) to try and salvage something from the situation.

As they sought to control a run scoring rate which had already reached seven per over, the pairing enjoyed near-immediate success. Dale removed Arnberger and Kasprowicz claimed the wicket of Brad Hodge (28), who had been another to come out firing. The loss of wickets forced Elliott to steady his innings and collect singles rather than take any undue risks. It led to a production of a century from 101 balls.

Although the match was already quickly slipping away from them, the Bulls did have reason to smile during the middle stages of the Victorian innings. Debutants James Hopes (4/43 from ten overs) and Nathan Hauritz (0/38 off ten) each contributed excellent spells where their far more experienced teammates had been abjectly unable to do the same. With fine displays of medium fast and off spin bowling respectively, the pair was able to bring the Bulls back into the game by taking wickets consistently and dramatically slowing the scoring rate. Although Hauritz's off breaks failed to claim a wicket, his tight bowling in a pressure situation against batsmen who were set clearly aided his bowling partner, whose final figures were a tribute to his own accuracy and speed.

For the Victorians, Simon Dart (38), Darren Berry (27*) and Reiffel (22*) all built upon the work of their previously fallen teammates to accelerate the scoring rate again once Hopes and Hauritz had finished their visits to the bowling crease.

In pursuit of a difficult-enough total, the Bulls then faced the added pressure of having to maintain a rate ahead of the Duckworth/Lewis par score as showers began to fall across the ground. Jimmy Maher (30) exploded out of the blocks before skying a ball to deep mid wicket and another disaster greeted the Bulls just two balls later when Matthew Hayden (8) was dismissed in unusual circumstances.

At the other end to Maher, Hayden had taken nearly six overs to open his individual scoring account and appeared frustrated. It evinced him to play a lofted cover drive at the bowling of Ian Hewett (3/47 off ten overs) and he appeared to be caught by a diving Mick Lewis at extra cover. However, as Lewis hit the ground, so the ball popped out. Yet Hayden was blissfully unaware of this, seemed ready to concede the fact that he had been caught, and began to exit the crease. Lewis was then left with an easy throw to wicketkeeper Berry to effect the run out.

All-rounder Lee Carseldine (20) joined skipper Law (46) and the pair began to construct a very good partnership around a twenty-minute rain delay. It brought the Queenslanders sixty-seven runs in quick time before the former was dismissed.

A reshuffle in the batting order saw the hard-hitting Bichel (36) come in at number five to try and boost the run rate. Before he could begin a partnership with Law, though, the Bulls captain was the victim of a catch deep in the leg side field. This put the Bulls well behind the eight-ball, even with regular number three Martin Love (28) joining Bichel.

Love was soon on the way back himself and it triggered an even steadier trickle of wickets thereafter. Just to compound the home team's agony amid a season of generally unimpressive one-day performances, Reiffel (3/28 off seven overs) entered the attack late in the innings to claim three wickets.

Bichel provided some glimmer of hope for the Bulls in a personal best score. But the task was just too much. Kasprowicz (10*) and Dale (10) added a brave twenty for the final wicket; by then, though, the side's hopes of preventing the surrender of a bonus point to their opponents - let alone staving off defeat - had been rendered slim.

In the end, the Bulls were only ten runs short of denying the Victorians the full five points on offer. But there was no denying the Elliott-inspired Victorians' right to claim the maximum reward for their performance.