Warriors warm up for final with tidy dress rehearsal

Western Warriors warmed up for the final of the Champions Cup tomorrow with an easy 108-run win over Central Districts in Perth today.

Going into the game CD had the chance of playing in the final themselves if they could beat their Australian hosts, but a disappointing batting effort, where the top order again failed the side, meant CD were never competitive.

In the field, CD did a superb job in holding the Western Warriors to a total of 257/8, when it seemed that a score in excess of 280 was on the cards.

But in the end it didn't matter as CD couldn't capitalise with the bat.

Earlier, the New Zealand team's bowlers kept the pressure on after the Warriors made a sound start with the bat.

Marcus North especially, showed out with some solid batting and kept the top order moving before being bowled around his legs by off spinner Glen Sulzberger for 56 runs scored off 80 balls.

New player Peter Worthington marked his debut for the Warriors with a half century scoring 54 off 63 balls.

In the latter part of the innings the restriction of Justin Langer to an effort where he took largely singles and twos played a major part in Western Australia being held to only 257. Langer was out trying to hit out for 60 off 63 balls.

In the last 10 overs the home side was only able to score 50 runs.

CD captain Jacob Oram and Sulzberger, the two players with One-Day International experience this summer, bowled especially well. Oram bowled his 10 overs and finished with one for 39 while Sulzberger's nine overs produced two wickets for 38.

But the younger bowlers, the players who did so well in the New Zealand Shell Cup campaign, were all too expensive and lacked control at the vital stages.

CD's batting response started out at a good clip but the steady loss of wickets and a run rate requirement that hovered between 5.5 and six runs per over kept the pressure on the home side.

Opener Jamie How impressed with another solid innings where he wasn't afraid to loft the ball and he scored 39 runs.

But the early loss of David Kelly dragging a ball from Brad Williams onto his wickets and the frustrating batting of Craig Spearman, most under-mined the CD hopes. Spearman, playing some outstanding shots got cleaned out by a full-pitched ball having scored 13 runs off 13 balls. Ben Smith could work no miracles and he departed for a duck while Oram just looked like he was getting into a good scoring groove when he was undone by a superb yorker from Matthew Nicholson. Out for 25 off 27 balls his departure signalled the beginning of the end.

Sulzberger having lost Mark Douglas to a run out was soon gone also, to a superb close quarter catch taken by Simon Katich.

The tail was wrapped up fairly quickly as the home bowlers feasted on the CD carcass.

Williams, bowling with some fire and pace took two for 22 from five overs, North had two for 20 from four overs, Hogg two for 33 from 6.2 while Stuart Karppinen had two for 40 from 10 overs bowled on the trot.

It was a comprehensive Western Warriors win and one that should see them favoured to complete the tournament with a victory tomorrow.