No blues for NSW as Eagles fail to soar

Katich, Lee shine as Aussie side romp home

After putting up what appeared to be a par for the course total – 144/6 in 20 overs – NSW restricted Eagles to 90/9 in 20 overs to come out on top. NSW owed their winning target to skipper Simon Katich’s flowing 53 ((41b, 6x4, 2x6) after the Australian T20 champions chose to bat first.

Brett Lee spewed venom with the ball to put Eagles on the back foot. The paceman gave the first breakthrough trapping opener Rilee Roussouw with the last ball of the opening over before Katich ran Adrien McLaren out with a direct hit.

Ideal conditions

Stuart Clark, not express quick like Lee, relished the ideal conditions to get rid of Morne van Wyk and Eagles’ skipper Boeta Dippenar.

Nathan Hauritz had Dean Elger stumped and Katich, who had a field day, inflicted more misery running out Ryan Bailey with another direct hit.

At 36 for six inside of ten overs, Eagles had gift-wrapped the match to NSW with Clark and Moises Henriques (2/13) completing the formalities. Clark returned the best figures for the day with 3/12 from his four overs.

Ryan McLaren waged a losing battle with 40 (37b, 4x4, 1x6) and along with his cousin Andiren, he was the only other Eagles’ batsman to reach the double figures.

On a pitch where controlled aggression was the key to success, Katich brought all his experience to the fore playing gem of an innings that was the cornerstone of New South Wales’ competitive total after an early jolt in the form of Philip Hughes’ dismissal.

Trifle low

Hughes’ wicket, perhaps, gave an indication of what was in store for the batsmen. Shaping up to dispatch Victor Mpitsang out of the park, the left-hander could could only bottom-edge the ball that kept a trifle low onto the stumps.

On a slow wicket, shot-making for the batsmen wasn’t an easy task and Katich was quick to size up the situation.

Though not completely circumspect in his approach, Katich wasn’t outlandish either while pacing his innings.

Playing the ball late, the 36-year-old neatly pierced the gaps while the fast outfield took care of the rest. Not one of the most attractive southpaws around, Katich did manage to eke out a few attractive strokes from his willow, his cover-drive off paceman Dillon du Preez standing out. 

The captain with an unusually subdued David Warner (23, 31b, 4x4) realised 82 runs for the second wicket in a matter of 75 balls.

Though Ryan Bailey put a brake on the scoring rate with three parsimonious overs (3-0-10-1), Henriques (27, 19b, 2x4, 1x6) and Ben Rohrer 22 (15b, 2xx, 1x6) provided the final push to ensure that New South Wales managed a handy total in the end.

Score Board

NEW SOUTH WALES: Philip Hughes b Mpitsang 1 (4b), David Warner b Bailey, Simon Katich c Rossouw b Van Scahlkwyk 53 (41b, 6x4, 2x6), Moises Henriques c A McLaren 27 (19b, 3x6), Ben Rohrer (not out) 22 (15b, 2x4, 1x6), Steven Smith b Du Preez 10 (8b, 1x4), Brett Lee (run out) 0 (1b), Daniel Smith (not out) 0 (1b). Extras (LB-6, W-2) 8. Total (for 6 wkts, 20 overs) 144.
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Hughes), 2-82 (Warner), 3-84 (Katich), 4-126 (Henriques), 5-138 (Smith), 6-138 (Lee).      
Bowling: Dillon du Preez 4-0-32-1, Victor Mpitsang 3-0-11-1, Ryan McLaren 3-0-30-0 (w-1), Shadley van Scahlkwyk 3-0-22-2, Thandi Tshabalala 4-0-33-0, Ryan Bailey 3-0-10-1 (w-1).

DIAMOND EAGLES: Adrien McLaren (run out) 11 (9b, 2x4), Rilee Roussouw lbw Lee 1 (5b), Morne van Wyk c Hughes b Clark 0 (5b), Dean Elgar St DLR Smith b Hauritz 2 (5b), Boeta Dippenar c Katich b Clark 7 (14b, 1x4), Ryan Bailey (run out) 8 (10b, 1x4), Ryan McLaren c Hauritz b Henriques 40 (37b, 4x4, 1x6), Shadley van Schlkwyk b Hendriques 3 (14b), Dillon du Preez b Clark 7 (6b, 1x4), Thandi Tshabalala (not out) 8 (14b), Victor Mpitsang (not out) 0 (1b). Extras (LB-4) 4. Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 91.
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Roussouw), 2-13 (A Mclaren), 3-14 (Van Wyk), 4-22 (Dippenar), 5-24 (Elgar), 6-36 (Bailey), 7-62 (van Schalkwyk), 8-71 (du Preez), 9-90 (R McLaren).  
Bowling: Brett Lee 4-1-14-1, Doug Bollinger 4-0-21-0, Stuart Clark 4-0-12-3, Moises Henriques 3-0-13-2, Nathan Hauritz 4-0-13-1, Steven Smith 1-0-14-0.