Rixon was right

Steve Rixon proved a good judge as New South Wales routed Western Australia for 89 to score a stunning outright win in their Pura Cup cricket match here today.

Comprehensively outplayed for the first three days, the Blues set WA a modest 141 runs for victory after being dismissed in their second innings for 327.

Rixon, the NSW coach, had predicted last night WA would struggle to haul in a target as low as 150 on the North Sydney Oval wicket.

WA was in immediate trouble when NSW paceman Don Nash rattled Ryan Campbell's stumps with the third ball of the innings, triggering a collapse that left the visitors 4-16 at lunch.

Campbell (nought), Simon Katich (five), Damien Martyn (nought) and Mike Hussey (four) were all back in the pavilion.

Katich and Martyn had combined for a sparkling 192-run partnership in the first innings but Martyn, a likely replacement for Steve Waugh in the Australian team for the Third Test, lasted only two balls today.

He slashed a delivery from NSW speedster Nathan Bracken straight to Shawn Bradstreet at point.

Katich flicked a nice boundary off his legs before Corey Richards ran him out with a direct underarm hit on the only stump he could aim at from point.

Tom Moody looked less than impressed walking from the field when a spectator yelled at him: "17 runs of misery."

Bracken was the destroyer with career-best figures of 5-22 from 15 immaculate overs.

With Rixon's request for a 150-run lead still ringing in their ears, the Blues fell nine runs short of the desired target this morning when they were dismissed for 327.

Richards top-scored with 66 and received lusty support from Nash, who belted three fours and two sixes in his 35-ball stay.