28 January, 2009
Rob Forsaith at the Gabba, Sportal
Full Scorecard
A fluent century from man of the match Lee Carseldine and a more than handy knock of 81 from Ryan Broad has helped the Bulls post a 61-run bonus-point win over Western Australia in the Ford Ranger Cup match at the Gabba on Wednesday.
Carseldine continued his sizzling career-best form in the shorter versions of the game, but displayed more finesse than flair in his classy knock of 122 that came off 134 balls.
He combined with Broad for a 157-run partnership before partnering Glen Batticciotto, who crashed his maiden half-century, in a stand of 97 runs as the hosts posted the formidable total of 4-287.
The Warriors made a solid start in reply, reaching 1-110 on the back of opener Craig Simmons' 61, his highest ever score for Western Australia in any form of the game.
But after Simmons poked a Chris Simpson delivery straight to Clinton Perren in the covers, things went downhill promptly for the visitors, and in violent fashion as they lost five wickets for 19 runs.
The very next delivery an excellent piece of fielding from Carseldine, where he skidded in from point and back-handed the ball to keeper Chris Hartley, found Warriors skipper Marcus North (25) short of his ground.
Theo Doropoulos (zero) was trapped lbw by Ben Laughlin before the Warriors chances were effectively sunk as Adam Voges went for six and Luke Ronchi departed for a golden duck.
Debutant Justin Coetzee (39) and Aaron Heal (35) batted gamely in a 60-run stand but the run-rate required started to sky-rocket to an unachievable level, with the home side wrapping up the win in the 48th over as Western Australia was dismissed for 226.
Earlier Carseldine restricted his usual swashbuckling game, joining Broad in the middle with the score at 1-19, stroking nine boundaries in an innings full of self-control while Broad and Batticciotto (54 not out), played the role of aggressor.
The 33-year-old, whose cricketing career was brought to a sudden halt in 2004 when he underwent spinal fusion surgery and suffered from a serious infection, now boasts a competition-best 455 runs for the season at an average of 56.87.
Carseldine's second one-day ton for the season came on the back of a staggering 301 runs at the unbelievable average of 100.33 in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash tournament.
Broad, who has been a constant in the Bulls four-day side but donned the maroon kit on Wednesday for only the second time this season, showed he was a capable performer in the shorter form of the game.
The 26-year-old cracked seven boundaries and smashed three thumping sixes as he raced to his highest ever domestic one-day score of 81 off just 85 balls.
Broad was denied a maiden century by an excellent Steve Magoffin yorker in the 33rd over, but after Nathan Reardon came and went for five, Batticciotto picked up where Broad left off.
The win sees the Bulls claim top spot on the Ford Ranger Cup ladder with 24 points, although Victoria (21) has an extra two games in hand.
Western Australia and Queensland will ignite the Gabba once more on Friday when they lock horns in a Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield fixture.