Redbacks triumph in another nail-biter

Just six days into their new cricket season, this South Australian team certainly seems to like close finishes. Last Sunday, they narrowly lost a game they could easily have won; today, they won a game they could easily have lost. Whoever said cricket was a funny game wasn't really far off the mark.

"I hope we don't have too many more of these close ones; I could die of a heart attack," skipper Darren Lehmann said after the last-gasp four-run win over Tasmania in the teams' Mercantile Mutual Cup clash at the Adelaide Oval today.

"We batted well early after being sent in and really I would have been delighted with 200 given how tough it was at the start".

Lehmann also praised Jeff Vaughan, who for the second consecutive game passed fifty.

"It's been a great start for him and most of the batters who have all got runs and are all in form."

Chasing a run rate of 5.80 per over to achieve victory in the rain-reduced contest, the Tasmanians were cruising at 1/194 in the thirty-fifth over, with Michael DiVenuto and Ricky Ponting in full flight.

However, the reintroduction of Paul Wilson to the attack saw the demise of Ponting (68) after a great partnership of 137 for the second wicket with eventual Man of the Match DiVenuto. This was a turning point in the game as Wilson, who was clearly the best bowler in the match, returned to the attack just as things seemed to be getting out of hand for the home side.

Ponting virtually played second fiddle to DiVenuto during his innings. But his support was vital to the experienced left hander whose innings blossomed the further it progressed. DiVenuto's masterly effort, which included ten fours, was the highlight of the day's proceedings in a match which saw both sides bat with vigour against bowling that looked light on in preparation at best.

Divenuto was unlucky to be dismissed to say the least. With ten needed for victory off the last five balls, his downfall was due to a sensational piece of work by SA wicketkeeper Graham Manou. In the one action, Manou took a wayward return from Ryan Harris from third man and then hit the stumps with a mid-air throw with the gloves still on. Had Divenuto made his ground, the Tigers would have required just a further eight off the final four balls. In the end, nine off four with a new batsman on strike proved just too many.

South Australia's bowlers, like their Tasmanian counterparts, appeared a little underdone. Jason Gillespie's first three overs went for twenty-one as he bowled too short. Brett Swain managed to pick up the vital early wicket of Jamie Cox (21) but looked like he needed the run. And the fairy tale start for Harris came to an abrupt halt as he conceded thirty-five runs from five overs at the Cathedral End.

It was left to Wilson to halt the rapidly increasing run rate with seven accurate overs which cost a mere twenty-three. His eventual figures of 1/31 from nine overs were like a shining light on a cold, windy and overcast day.

Earlier, South Australia had made the best of the conditions to register 6/248, with all of the batsmen making valuable contributions. David Fitzgerald made a workmanlike 46 but shared in a steadying partnership of ninety-seven for the second wicket with Chris Davies (54), a man who is continuing to take a liking to the shorter form of the game.

These two were joined in the eighth over after Greg Blewett dragged one onto to his stumps after making just eight. After the Fitzgerald/Davies stand, the in-form duo of Lehmann (44) and Vaughan (57) smoked the bowling in the late overs, adding a century stand in the space of just fourteen overs to take the Redbacks to their eventual total.

For Tasmania, Brett Geeves (1/31 from nine) on debut performed very well, as did David Saker (1/38 off nine) and Damien Wright (0/32 off nine), who each bowled tightly in the early stages.

South Australia now journey to Perth for a day-night match on Friday against a full strength Western Australian outfit, an assignment which holds no fears for Lehmann and his young Redbacks.

"It will be a great test against a full strength WA side but we beat them last year making over 300 so we'll be confident."