All-round Cartwright stars in NPS win

Hilton Cartwright starred with bat and ball to deliver National Performance Squad (NPS) a 12-run win (Duckworth-Lewis method) over Australia A in a rain-affected match at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville.

Rain had reduced the match to 49 overs a side before Cartwright scored 81 off 92 to lay the platform in the NPS total of 231. He then took 3 for 26 to ensure that Australia A fell 13 runs short of the D/L-adjusted target of 190 from 28 overs.

Put in to bat, NPS lost opener Caleb Jewell after a laborious opening partnership of 19 off 52 balls. Cartwright then shared half-century stands with Sam Heazlett and Sam Harper to carry NPS to 2 for 143 in 35 overs. Fast bowler Chris Tremain dismissed Cartwright and Harper in the 36th over, to precipitate a passage of play in which NPS lost 4 for 15 in 26 balls.

However, handy lower-order cameos from Sean Abbott (44 off 28) and Michael Neser (31 off 32) helped NPS make good use of their last few overs to register 9 for 231. Tremain ended up with 5 for 47, having dismissed four of the five batsmen to have reached double figures. This was his second successive five-for, following on from returns of 5 for 25 against India A in the previous match.

Australia A's run chase was complicated by the early loss of Kurtis Patterson - trapped lbw by Abbott for a third-ball duck - and the rain interruptions, which ultimately left them with a target of 190 from 28 overs. Captain Chris Lynn, batting at No. 3, did his best to set up the chase with 42 off 21, and was ably complemented by opener Marcus Stoinis, who also scored 42, albeit at a more stately pace.

But Abbott and Cartwright continued to strike for NPS, reducing Australia A to 7 for 138, at which point the batting side needed 52 off 28. Cameron Bancroft (37* off 32) and Tremain (26* off 16) did their best to make a match of it, but could not provide enough firepower to get Australia A past the line.