Captain Simpson blasts Queensland to top of table

Queensland 5 for 261 (Philipson 85*, Simpson 61*, Carseldine 58) beat Victoria 241 (Wade 67, White 50, Laughlin 3-43) by 20 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A brutal late partnership between Craig Philipson and Chris Simpson set up a 20-run victory for Queensland at the MCG, where Victoria suffered their first loss of the FR Cup season. Philipson and Simpson added an unbeaten 123 in the final 11.4 overs to push the Bulls to 5 for 261 after Victoria had stifled the Queensland top order.

It proved the decisive period in the match and after Cameron White was run out for 50 in the chase, the Bulls were in the box seat. Matthew Wade fought hard with his maiden half-century and his 67 from 62 balls kept Victoria in the game, but Nathan Rimmington and Ben Laughlin ensured the Bushrangers were dismissed with eight balls to spare.

The run-out of White was a key moment as he and Wade were building a solid partnership. It came thanks to a brilliantly flat and quick throw from the bowler Rimmington, who hurled down the stumps at the striker's end as the batsmen attempted a third after Rimmington received the ball from Wade Townsend at deep cover.

Queensland were sharp in the field and no doubt carried some momentum onto the ground after the bruising efforts of Simpson and Philipson. The Bulls had ground their way to 5 for 138 in the 39th over when the pair came together and it was the captain Simpson, the Man of the Match, who led the fightback with 61 not out from 34 balls.

Remarkably, it was his first half-century in a 48-match one-day career, and it featured two sixes in the 50th over when White strangely decided to have Bryce McGain bowl out the final stages. Philipson, who had been scratchy early, followed his captain's lead and finished unbeaten on 85 from 79 deliveries.

It gave Queensland a terrific finish to an innings that had started badly - the debutant James Pattinson struck in the first over when James Hopes, returning from a lingering hamstring injury, edged an outswinger to slip. The victory confirmed Queensland's place at the top of the FR Cup table with five wins from six games.