Simpson bowls Bulls to victory

Queensland 9 for 239 (Perren 69, Krejza 3-69) beat New South Wales 8 for 215 (Krejza 52*, Simpson 4-34) by 24 runs
Scorecard

Chris Simpson turned from villain to hero for Queensland, claiming four wickets in their win over New South Wales after earlier losing his wicket in one of the strangest run-out scenarios possible. Simpson's 4 for 34 put the run-chase of 240 out of reach for the Blues, who scrambled to 8 for 215 only through a late 52 not out from Jason Krejza.

New South Wales were in a reasonable position at 2 for 101 after 25 overs but when Brad Haddin (29) hooked an Andy Bichel bouncer into the hands of Ashley Noffke at fine leg things fell apart. Simpson picked up four important middle-order wickets which, combined with Daniel Christian's 41 from 95 balls - too slow under the circumstances - made the chase very tough for New South Wales.

The Blues had nobody but themselves to blame after letting Queensland off the hook in the dying overs of their innings. Noffke (28 not out from 13 balls) and Bichel (26 off 12 balls) smashed 47 runs from the last three overs to help the Bulls to 9 for 239. The pair, together with Clinton Perren (69), undid much of the damage caused in part by Nathan Bracken's miserly 1 for 12, the tightest ten-over spell by a New South Wales bowler in a domestic one-day game.

Run-outs plagued the Queensland innings and Simpson's was the most bizarre. When Jimmy Maher played and missed at a Bracken delivery, Haddin took the ball and held it for a few seconds, then rolled it down the pitch and hit the stumps at the bowler's end. Simpson, who was wandering aimlessly outside his crease but not attempting a run, was out for 0 and the Bulls were 2 for 14.

The New South Wales captain Simon Katich said the late blitz by Noffke and Bichel hurt the Blues but their own batsmen were also to blame. "Guys got starts and kept getting out," Katich said. "We just needed somebody to go on and get probably 70 or 80."