Warriors rise up Pura Cup table

The Western Warriors jumped from the bottom of the Pura Cup standings after making short work of a meagre run chase on day three of their match with New South Wales at the WACA Ground today.

Set just seventy-two runs to win after they dismissed the Blues for 130 in their second innings late yesterday, the Warriors grabbed an outright victory by reaching the target in the sixteenth over, with nine wickets to spare. The victory gives the Warriors ten points from five matches, and leaves them just four points adrift of second place.

Warriors captain Tom Moody, named man of the match after taking five wickets late yesterday to decimate the Blues, said the result meant a positive feeling again surrounded the side.

"We've gone awfully close in our last three four-day games, without delivering the final blow," Moody said.

"Going into Christmas it's nice to be able to do it on your own turf, in a nice return fashion to the Blues because they bowled us over a couple of weeks earlier (in Sydney)."

"For some reason we tend to be a bit slow out of the blocks - we have been the last few years," he said.

"I'm certainly confident that from here on we can continue our good form and welcome back a couple of strike bowlers after Christmas, in Matthew Nicholson and Brad Williams, to put pressure on the attack we've already got."

The home side capitalised on a cameo appearance by left arm spinner Mark Higgs, plundering seventeen runs from his ten deliveries to close out the contest and snatch the six points. Mike Hussey, who hit the winning runs when he hoisted a Higgs delivery away square of the wicket, was left unbeaten on 29, while Simon Katich remained not out on 13.

The Warriors' intentions were signalled early when opener Ryan Campbell (24) hooked Don Nash (0/20) just inches short of the fence, with the ensuing four runs between wickets signalling a rapid start to the run chase.

Nash responded by snaring an outside edge but it did not quite carry to third slip and, seconds later, Campbell repeated his hefty hook through mid wicket - this time reaching the boundary.

Fellow strike bowler Stuart Clark (1/19) did not fare much better. In the very next over, Campbell thrashed a wide ball through cover, and when Greg Mail let a regulation stop escape past the slips cordon and register another four runs, the Blues' chances of causing an early batting collapse looked slim.

It was then Hussey's turn to hit out; he glided a Nash delivery through the gully and helped the Warriors head more than a third of the way to their target inside the space of the first five overs.

Just six runs later, however, the Blues had the breakthrough. Campbell wasted his good opening when, trying to defend back down the pitch, he gathered a thin outside edge from a ball in Clark's third over and the catch duly carried through to 'keeper Brad Haddin. Notwithstanding his attacking start, it continued a run of outs for Campbell, increasing the pressure on him to prove his worth to the team.

Katich joined Hussey at the crease and soon the pair looked to close out the contest, a smart straight drive by the latter from Simon Cook's (0/11) first over maintaining the steady flow of runs.

Clark continued at the other end to Cook. However, he received much the same treatment; Hussey drove him fiercely through cover to make it 1/41 from eight overs. Katich took a little longer to settle on the seaming pitch and eventually brought up his first runs twenty-six minutes into his innings, ironically with a cracking pull in Clark's sixth over.

After reaching their half-century in the thirteenth over (when Hussey tugged a short Cook delivery through the vacant mid wicket region), the Warriors seemed intent on escaping the searing Perth heat. Blues' captain Shane Lee replaced Clark with the left arm spin of Higgs, and the Warriors batsmen welcomed the move by taking ten runs from his first over.

Higgs' expensive start left the home side only thirteen runs in arrears, and a short Cook delivery which whistled past both batsman and 'keeper shortened the gap even more.

Moody said that, after two days dominated by good bowling performances, it was pleasing to see his batsmen win out in the small run chase.

"It was always going to be testing - 70 runs is 70 runs, but if you lose a couple of early wickets it can feel like 170," he said.

"I was pleased that Campbell certainly showed some initiative early and played some good shots - he got a good ball unfortunately," Moody said. "But 'Huss' is also in need of a good hit as well, and looked solid and applied himself well out there."

Both Moody and Blues' coach Steve Rixon said that, while the pitch was definitely playable, a worthy run chase on the last day would have presented a challenge.

But they both said the disparate results between this match and the North Sydney Oval contest only two weeks ago were the result of home turf advantage.

"Over there, the wickets tend to turn and keep low whereas here they do the complete opposite - you've got to deal with pace and bounce," Moody said. "We're brought up on these wickets and they're brought up on theirs."

Rixon said that, while the game was dominated by the bowling side, the Blues struggled badly with their batting and needed more stability in their line-up.

However, he also sang the praises of Nash, who looked dangerous while taking four first-innings wickets. Rixon said the only detracting feature was that the paceman needed a little more match fitness before warranting consideration for national selection.