Rain ensures early end to first day of Pura Cup clash

Play in the final session of the Pura Cup match between New South Wales and Western Australia has lasted only nine overs after rain and thunderstorms hit the North Sydney Oval this afternoon.

After being dismissed for 226 in their first innings just on the point of tea, the Blues went out in search of early wickets to give themselves a chance of capturing two points in bowler friendly conditions. When the players left the field at 4:48pm the Warriors were 1/37 following the dismissal of Mike Hussey (1) who continued a generally disappointing run this season.

Ryan Campbell (30) was scoring at a rate of better than a run a ball prior to stumps, amassing his runs off twenty-nine deliveries in an innings which included five boundaries. Simon Katich joined Campbell following Hussey's dismissal and is unbeaten on six.

Nathan Bracken made the early breakthrough when he bowled Hussey.

Don Nash was the Blues bowler to bear the brunt of the Campbell onslaught, conceding thirty off his opening five overs. Bracken, meanwhile, had the far more respectable figures of 1/7 alongside his name from his four overs.

Today's play saw eleven wickets fall for 263 runs in an up and down day for both teams. After early wickets fell, the Blues were struggling at 5/49 before a middle and lower order revival, headed by Brad Haddin (87) and Mark Higgs (34), swelled the score to 226.