Thornely, Bradstreet steal show for back-to-back Blues

Though pages on this site do not normally come complete with warnings, the report of New South Wales' hard-bitten 19-run win over Queensland in today's ING Cup Final in Brisbane arrives with at least two in close attendance.

Firstly, its tale of horror ensures that it be recommended to mature Queensland audiences only; secondly, it conveys the violent message that this was a match in which batsmen consistently lost their heads.

Defending a moderate total of 204, New South Wales dropped a catch in the opening over of Queensland's reply, then watched as Martin Love (53), Clinton Perren (36) and Lee Carseldine (29) pushed the Bulls inexorably closer to what seemed like becoming a regulation victory.

Yet, for the second time in successive years, the Blues refused to let the occasion, a disappointing start, nor the experience of playing at a daunting away venue adversely affect them. Accordingly, they regained the upper hand - about as swiftly as they had surrendered it earlier in the day - when medium pacers Shawn Bradstreet (4/23) and Dominic Thornely (3/36) combined to wreck the home team's middle and lower order.

It represented a remarkable recovery after the combination of impatience and poor shot selection had laid waste to the Blues' own innings, and it guaranteed that the overriding tale of this match was of batsmen being profoundly overwhelmed by the pressure of the big occasion.

Upon winning the toss, the Queenslanders had been the first to take advantage of the curse of injudicious strokeplay, wresting a significant initiative when they dismissed the visitors for their unflattering total from the final delivery of their 50 overs. Though the Blues reached 0/82 at one point on the back of a controlled opening stand between Brad Haddin (45) and Corey Richards (34), they lost their way grievously as the accuracy of off spinner Nathan Hauritz (4/47) and pace bowlers James Hopes (3/33) and Ashley Noffke (2/24) overcame them.

It had taken a brilliant running catch - replete with head long dive at the end of a 20-metre journey toward the fence from mid on - from captain Stuart Law to prise open the game for the Bulls.

But, once he had intervened to intercept a mistimed lofted drive from Haddin at Noffke, his team swiftly assumed control.

Matthew Phelps (31) and Thornely (20*) added late runs that ultimately proved critical. The Blues also benefited from a decision by umpire Daryl Harper not to refer a stumping appeal against Mark Higgs (22) to third umpire Peter Parker with the left hander's score at 3. Yet it wasn't until the match entered the afternoon session that New South Wales was genuinely able to find a way back.

The visitors again wobbled on their feet when second slip fieldsman Michael Clarke grassed a low chance to catch Love before the talented right hander had scored. They inched forward remorselessly with the wickets of Jimmy Maher (10), Law (10) and Andrew Symonds (8), though, to put themselves back in the tug-of-war.

Perren and Carseldine steadied Queensland's innings with a 48-run sixth wicket stand on a `Gabba pitch that never seemed to pose particular terrors for the batsmen. But the former fell to a miscued slog-sweep at a Thornely slower ball and the latter mistimed a blazing cut at the same bowler to lash a catch to backward point. They were each ambitious strokes and they ensured that the sense of malaise that had marked much of the game's batting returned in large measure. The match's last five wickets crashed for the addition of only 36 runs as the hosts' sorrow was aligned against the visitors' jubilation.

Mercifully, the immaculate length of Thornely and Bradstreet - together with the superb catching of Richards and Haddin - ensured that the conclusion was marked as much by excellence in the field as mediocrity at the crease.

In flinging himself horizontally to his right, Haddin's interception of a thick outside edge from the bat of Hopes (19) was a classic wicketkeeper's catch. Credit likewise needed to be showered upon Richards for an outstanding catch at cover, as he dived forward to intercept a Hauritz (3) drive inches above the ground, that conspired to leave the Bulls just three wickets short of defeat.

The video of this dramatic victory will presumably be a best seller in New South Wales in the weeks, months and years ahead. It will have a harder time finding its way beyond the restricted shelves in Queensland.