Harris' late show seals win for Bulls

Queensland 9 for 146 (Floros 47) beat Victoria 144 (Handscomb 42, Harris 4-26, McDermott 3-49) by 2 runs
Scorecard

Ryan Harris conjured a sizzling final over to snatch for Queensland a domestic limited overs final that Victoria seemed to have in their keeping after a night of many fluctuations on a lively MCG surface kept fresh by rain.

Needing five runs from 10 balls with three wickets in hand following a pair of sixes swung by Clint McKay, the Bushrangers lost Will Sheridan without addition but still needed only five from Harris' final over of the match. It was a task he had been saved for while the hosts took advantage of some wayward bowling by Cameron Gannon.

After a pair of singles, Harris whizzed down a lifter that McKay did well to edge and Chris Hartley better still to catch, leaping well off the ground to claim the chance. Next ball Fawad Ahmed pushed apprehensively at a delivery of immaculate line and length and Peter Forrest held another sharp chance at second slip, a cue for jubilant Bulls and disconsolate Bushrangers.

Under the astute yet uncomplicated helmsmanship of the coach Darren Lehmann and the captain James Hopes, the Bulls now hold both the Sheffield Shield and limited overs titles, while the Brisbane Heat carried off the Big Bash League in January. They have shown a knack for finding something extra in tight moments.

In a strong reminder that he will be a more than useful Ashes tourist should his fitness hold up, Harris made a lively start to the innings also, nipping out Aaron Finch while keeping the runs down. Along with James Hopes, Alister McDermott and Gannon, Harris ensured regular wickets always kept the Bulls in the match, until McKay's sixes had threatened to finish it.

Peter Handscomb and Cameron White came closest to establishing a match-winning stand, but the Bushrangers captain succumbed to one of several short balls that leapt threateningly across the evening - symptomatic of a contest in which no batsman passed 50.

Queensland had seemed unlikely winners when the match was stopped for rain after 20.1 overs in the afternoon, a scoreline of 4 for 69 relating how their batsmen struggled on a pitch offering movement and bounce to the seamers.

The delay reduced the match to 32 overs per side, and for some time after the resumption the Bulls did not look like setting any sort of total for Victoria to chase, slipping to 7 for 97 when Ahmed deceived Peter Forrest in the midst of another teasing spell of leg spin.

However Jason Floros summoned his cleanest hitting to capitalise on Victorian errors of length in the closing overs, crashing the first three balls of the final over, bowled by John Hastings, for six, four and six. In all 18 came from that final over, runs that would give Harris just enough room to seal a thrilling victory.