Bulls charge to victory over Warriors

Queensland has won an epic ING Cup encounter by two wickets against Western Australia at the Gabba Ground in Brisbane tonight.

Two massive sixes in the final over from Chris Hartley steered the Bulls over the line, while earlier James Hopes' magnificent knock of 77 (off only 66 balls) top-scored for Queensland and earned him the man of the match honours.

Coasting at 1-104, the Bulls were rocked when Peter Worthington ripped through the middle-order to leave the, once mighty, Queensland team on the ropes at 5-113.

However, the Bulls fought back through rookies Steven Paulsen (supersub) and Nathan Reardon. The pair came to the rescue with a valuable 58-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Western Australia won the toss and batting first made the worst possible start to their innings with opener Chris Rogers bowled on the first ball of play. It took a master display of elegant batting by former Test and ODI regular Damien Martyn (77 runs off 73 balls) to lift the Warriors run rate after the slow start by David Bandy and Marcus North.

Both Bandy (54) and North (58) posted half-centuries but it took until the 27th over before the Warriors had reached 100. Question marks reign supreme again over the middle-order, had it not been for the trio of Martyn, North and Bandy the Warriors would have failed to reach the century.

Thankfully, though, the Warriors were able to post a competitive target, dismissed on the final ball for 226 when Andrew Bichel ran out Brett Dorey. Nathan Hauritz was the best of the bowlers with 3-52 off 10 overs, while Bichel finished with economical figures of 2-24 off eight overs.

In reply, Hopes gave the Bulls the best start, that all Queenslanders could have wished for, taking it right up to the Warriors bowlers, while skipper Jimmy Maher, then Clinton Perren, watched on from the non-strikers end.

Maher fell for 13, Perren for six then the middle-order collapse with Hopes, Chris Simpson (5) and Craig Philipson (1) dismissed by Worthington. Worthington finished with 4-36 from 10 overs.

The sixth wicket stand saw the Bulls get off the ropes, the ninth stand between Hartley (36no) and Hauritz (12no) guided Queensland home with two balls to spare.

The result tonight means both teams' swap places on the points table, the Bulls move up to fourth (12 points), while the Warriors fall down to fifth (nine points).

Domestic Cricket returns in 2006 with ING Cup matches on the New Years' Day holiday Monday (January 2). Queensland travel south to Hobart where they play Tasmania.

Western Australia's next match is against the Bulls at Perth on Friday January 13, a day/night encounter at the WACA.

Before that clash, there is the eagerly awaited Twenty20 match on January 6 between WA and Victoria.

Full scorecard available here.

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