Bush Blues Zoom Back Into Country Picture
Newcastle Herald
Monday January 12, 2004
NSW Country rocketed back into contention at the Australian Country Championships in Mount Gambier after an outright win over Western Australia on Saturday.
The Bush Blues lost their opening match by two wickets to Victoria and went down by the same margin against South Australia but regrouped to occupy third place.
Points are awarded for runs and wickets, along with first-innings and outright wins, and the Blues were never far off the pace because their losses were in close encounters.
Newcastle's bowlers and the bat of Newcastle City all-rounder Michael Gerits were the decisive factors in their win over Western Australia.
Gerits played a lone hand of 80 as NSW posted a modest 172 in their first innings.
It was far too many for Western Australia, who were all out for 92.
Merewether quick Duncan McIlveen took 4-35 and Hamilton-Wickham all-rounder Darren Herbert bagged 3-30 in the first innings.
NSW Country captain Simon Moore declared their second innings closed at 7-169, setting Western Australia 250 to win. But they were bundled out for 102.
Belmont medium-pacer Brad Bannister finished the second innings with 5-16.
NSW Country face winless newcomers East Asia Pacific (EAP) in their next match, which starts today, and Queensland to finish the carnival.
Former Merewether star Jamie Brazier will be the prize scalp for NSW today because his two centuries in the carnival are all that have saved his team from heavy losses.
Brazier scored 104 in the second innings of the match against Western Australia to avert outright defeat. He was among the runs again yesterday, scoring 162 off 150 balls.
EAP made 193 in their first innings, while Victoria declared their innings closed at 8-322. EAP made 222 in their second innings, courtesy of Brazier's 162.
Pointscore (after round 3): Victoria 39.55, Queensland 32.09, NSW 30.70, South Australia 29.91, Western Australia 19.31, EAP 16.26
NZPA reports: If last year was a dress rehearsal, the real Stephen Fleming show promises to be a treat in 2004.
The New Zealand captain unleashed a matchwinning one-day century on Saturday with such consummate ease it is baffling to think it was six years since his previous one on home soil, against Australia in Napier.
Fleming stroked the Pakistan pace attack to all parts of Jade Stadium in his unbeaten 115 off 135 balls. His innings led New Zealand past the victory target of 256 in the third one-day international.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald
