Slim-line Cosgrove's century takes SA home

South Australia 4 for 250 in 45 overs (Cosgrove 109*, Elliot 63) beat Queensland 7 for 249 (Perren 62, Maher 49) by 6 wickets
Scorecard

Mark Cosgrove couldn't have hoped for a better comback © Getty Images

Mark Cosgrove celebrated his return from being dropped for being overweight with a superb hundred to lead South Australia to a six-wicket ING Cup win over Queensland at Adelaide Oval.

At the beginning of October, Cosgrove was given an ultimatum - lose five kilos or your contract. He shifted the weight, and marked his comeback by hammering 109 off 102 balls as South Australia won at a canter.

"I've never hit them that well in my life," Cosgrove said. "It's one of the best I've played, every time I wanted to hit the ball somewhere it just went." And he admitted that a few of the Queensland players had made comments about the weight. "They said your tea's getting cold and things like that, it was a bit of fun in the end."

South Australia were set 250 to win, and stumbled to 4 for 127, but with Cosgrove leading the charge with five sixes, and Matthew Elliott (63) and Callum Ferguson both chipping in, they eased to victory with five overs to spare.

Queensland had started well with James Hopes (31) and Jimmy Maher putting on 72 for the first wicket. Mark Cleary then dismissed Hopes, who injured his shoulder when in the field, and Andy Bichel in successive balls and when Maher fell for 49, Queensland were 3 for 96.

Symonds and Perren did the repair work with 49 for the fourth wicket and then Perren put on another 49 with Craig Philipson, but Queensland could never get a substantial partnership going. Useful contributions from the tail helped them reach 249 and it seemed to be enough when South Australia were 4 for 127, but Cosgrove would have the final say.