New South Wales crush Western Australia to rocket to top of Marsh Cup table
Jack Edwards produced a superb spell as the home side were bundled out for 161 on a hot day
AAP
01-Feb-2024
Daniel Hughes kept New South Wales' chase on track • Getty Images
New South Wales 163 for 5 (Hughes 52) beat Western Australia 161 (Short 47, Edwards 3-14, Salzmann 3-18) by five wickets
New South Wales rocketed to top spot on the Marsh Cup table after posting a five-wicket bonus-point victory over defending champions Western Australia at the WACA Ground.
Player of the match Jack Edwards snared 3 for 14 as WA were rolled for 161 in 39.1 overs in 41-degree heat on Thursday.
In reply, NSW reached the victory target with a whopping 17.4 overs to spare courtesy of important knocks from opener Daniel Hughes (52 off 83 balls) and Ollie Davies (38 off 34 balls).
The result catapulted NSW from third to first, while WA's second loss of the season relegated them to second spot. Both of WA's losses have been to the Blues, setting up an intriguing battle if the two powerhouses make the final.
WA slumped to 89 for 7 after being sent in to bat before some late heroics from D'Arcy Short and AJ Tye lifted the home side to a defendable total. Edwards caused the early damage, before offspinner Chris Green and Will Salzmann joined in on the fun.
The wheels fell off early for WA as they slumped from 15 for 0 to 15 for 3 in the space of seven balls. Sam Fanning was the first to fall when he struck Ben Dwarshuis to point. Josh Philippe followed next over when Edwards found a leading edge.
Alarm bells were ringing for WA next ball when a rising Edwards delivery crashed into the left glove of Sam Whiteman and rebounded onto the stumps.
Cameron Bancroft helped steady the ship with a cautious knock, but his good work was undone when he was cramped by Edwards and edged behind.
Green then sent Ashton Agar and Cameron Gannon packing in consecutive balls to leave WA in dire straights. Short and Tye refused to go down without a fight, the duo striking some lusty blows in a 69-run partnership off 63 balls.
But just as WA looked set to push on towards 200, Salzmann dismissed both Short and Tye within the space of three balls in the 38th over to end the home side's resistance.
NSW slipped to 19 for 2 in their run chase after Edwards and Blake Macdonald fell to the impressive Gannon, but a strong knock from Hughes ensured there would be no major collapse.