Queensland prepare for final with win over Redbacks

Queensland will go into Friday's Interstate Cup Final against Victoria raring to go following their 56 run victory at Allan Border Field over South Australia.

In what was effectively a three day match, both sides whould be congratulated for gaining a result, but I suppose Darren Lehmann should receive the majority of the plaudits for declaring 115 runs behind on the first innings yesterday. The gesture opened up a game and also gave his team a chance of winning a match that could well have petered out to a draw.

The South Australians had their chances to win as well after they were set 274 to win in two sessions, when they reached 3/151 with still enough time remaining to force a win. At that moment, innings backbone Shane Deitz edged Matthew Anderson through to the keeper after making 85 and from there the Southerners subsided to lose in all 7/66 to be out for 217. Andy Bichel did the early damage getting mainstays David Fitzgerald (3) and Darren Lehmann (13) to complete the match with six wickets and Anderson's other two victims were Jeff Vaughan (56) and Bradley Young (23) as he finished with 3/79 from twenty overs.

Earlier in the day, Jimmy Maher found form to make an unbeaten century and set the eventual target of 274 as Queensland declared at lunch. However at the start a couple of run outs and two wickets to Paul Wilson (2/16) had Queensland at 5/69 in strife in the first session. Wade Seccombe joined the little leftie and alleviated the situation with an unbeaten 30, in an unbroken stand of 89 in 70 minutes.