Hopes leads Bulls with five wickets

ADELAIDE - A five-wicket haul to Queensland rookie James Hopes steered the Bulls to a crushing 101-run win over South Australia in the Mercantile Mutual Cup cricket match at the Adelaide Oval tonight.

The Redbacks were bowled out for 143 in just 40.3 overs, well short of their target of 245.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, the visitors reached 8-244 from 50 overs and needed to bowl SA out for 195 or less to claim a bonus point. Out of contention for the one-day final, Bulls skipper Stuart Law said before the match his team would be playing for pride and using the opportunity to test newer players for the four-day competition, which Queensland leads.

One such player emerged to push his claims for a Pura Cup spot in allrounder Hopes, who claimed 5-29 from his 10 overs.

The home side offered lacklustre resistance to the Bulls' attack with number-eight Graham Manou the only batsman to show real fight with an unbeaten 42 from 41 balls.

Paceman Michael Kasprowicz, who was yesterday recalled to the Australian squad for the upcoming tour of India, struck early for the Bulls. He had SA opener David Fitzgerald caught by Clinton Perren at mid off for just five in the fourth over of the innings. Perren then took another catch at square leg to dismiss Chris Davies (18) off the bowling of Hopes.

SA skipper Greg Blewett (29 from 58 balls) was the victim of an unlucky dismissal when batting partner Ben Johnson thumped a Hopes delivery down the wicket, which deflected off the bowler and onto the stumps to catch Blewett out of his crease and put the Redbacks at 3-58.

Johnson managed 14 before he fell victim to Hopes and an excellent diving catch from Matthew Hayden.

SA's middle order of Jeff Vaughan, Shane Deitz and Mick Miller fell cheaply with Vaughan and Miller adding to Hopes's haul while Deitz was run out. Jason Gillespie provided Hopes with his final wicket for the night when he was bowled for no score in the 32nd over to put the Redbacks at 8-89.

Paul Wilson hit two fours on his way to 12 before he was bowled by Nathan Hauritz and Peter McIntyre was the last wicket to fall, caught at backward point by Kasprowicz to give Hauritz figures of 2-13 from 2.3 overs.

Hayden top scored for Queensland with 48 from 57 deliveries while Wade Seccombe provided a handy 45 not out from just 32 deliveries late in the Bulls' innings.

SA had Queensland in trouble at 4-96 before Lee Carseldine(34), Perren (33) and Brendan Nash, who contributed a quick 31 from 29 balls, steadied the innings.

SA paceman Gillespie made a welcome return to cricket after missing a month with a hamstring injury he sustained in the Sydney Test between Australia and the West Indies.

The injury-prone quick, who will travel to India with the Australian team next week, took 2-49 from 10 overs with no sign of discomfort.

The Redbacks must now beat Victoria in their remaining one-dayer next Saturday and rely on second-placed New South Wales to lose at home to Tasmania if they are to meet Western Australia in the final.