Bushrangers make solid start to Final rematch

Having reached a score of 4/229 by stumps on a day shortened by a combination of rain and bad light, Victoria has made a solid start to its Pura Cup match against Queensland at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane today. Capitalising on first use of a benign pitch, the Bushrangers overcame inclement late afternoon weather and some persistent bowling from the home side to make their way to their score.

Naturally, it did not bring with it quite the same sense of occasion (nor the same level of drama or emotion) but the day's play shared many characteristics with some of those seen during the Pura Milk Cup Final between the same states at the same venue seven months ago. It was tough, it was combative, no quarter was given nor asked.

The Bushrangers' problems with both form and injury were acute enough to force them to accede to the unlikely idea of using the sadly out of form Shawn Craig (23) as an opening partner for Jason Arnberger (64). But, upon winning the toss, they looked suitably determined to put several lacklustre performances with the bat this season firmly behind them.

Arnberger was given a life at 12 (when Stuart Law dropped a catch at second slip) and Craig made a rather tentative beginning but the two batsmen otherwise looked in little trouble through the majority of the opening session. In humid conditions, Arnberger looked especially comfortable. Happiest when given the chance to rock on to the back foot, he hit two glorious pull strokes - one for four and the other for six - in successive overs half an hour before lunch. Craig, meanwhile, played the majority of his scoring shots through the off side in an innings in which he strove to put the horrific memory of his last-match pair behind him. It was not until the latter glanced lazily at the very last delivery before lunch, and was brilliantly caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe off the bowling of Andy Bichel (1/59), that Queensland experienced any joy whatsoever.

Duplicating the efficiency of their team's start, Michael Klinger (37*) and Ian Harvey (35*) ensured that the Victorians also enjoyed a good finish to the day. Before bad light finally put an end to matters at 5:10pm local time - around ninety minutes after play had resumed following a separate forty minute break for rain - the two added an unbroken sixty-eight runs for the fifth wicket in enterprising style.

The rate at which the pair scored offered quite a contrast, in fact, with the extent of their team's progress in the period immediately following lunch. It was during that phase that the Victorians allowed themselves to be pinned down by some accurate bowling from Adam Dale (0/40) and Joe Dawes (2/75) in particular. Dawes struck twice in one spell in the hour before tea, luring both Arnberger and Brad Hodge (14) to edge low catches to Martin Love at slip. Before he was finally drawn into cutting at a wide ball from Andy Symonds (1/47), only to feather a catch through to Seccombe, Matthew Mott (31) had also struggled to work his way on top of the Bulls' bowling through this period.