The sterling efforts of veterans James Hopes and Chris Hartley on Sunday put Queensland in the box seat to win the Sheffield Shield final against defending champion Tasmania at the Gabba.
But Test opener Ed Cowan stands in the way of a Bulls victory after the hosts dominated day three of the decider before bad light ended play early.
At stumps, the Tigers were 6 for 136 - a lead of 101 runs - with Cowan unbeaten on 59 and all-rounder Luke Butterworth 11 not out.
The decision by umpires Bruce Oxenford and Simon Fry to suspend play clearly irked Bulls coach Darren Lehmann, who vented his frustration to the officials as the players left the field under a grey sky in Brisbane.
"I don't think it's that bad. It wasn't at this time of the afternoon yesterday when we were out there and it was raining," Bulls quick Ryan Harris told Grandstand.
"It's pretty frustrating not to be out there, especially to bowl two balls in an over and all of a sudden it's not good enough.
"The judgement of the umpires isn't going too well I would have thought," added Harris, who was disgruntled with a few lbw shouts being turned away, including one against Cowan.
The Tasmanian and Test opener hit back at Harris' comments, saying the Bulls bowlers need to let the umpires do their job.
"Four-day cricket is not meant to be played in the dark under lights," said Cowan, who rated the Shield final as intense as any of the four Test matches he had played in.
Cowan believed the Bulls could crumble under pressure if they were forced to chase any total over 150 on Monday.
"To chase runs in a Sheffield Shield final, as we found out last year, is nerve-racking - it's gut-wrenching," he said.
"Anything above 150 we can really make challenging with early wickets, 200 starts playing on the mind.
"If we get the right conditions overhead, anything can happen, we saw Queensland lose 9 for 60 against WA not long ago."
But the Bulls have time on their side, needing only a draw to claim their first Shield title since 2005-06.
Hartley and Hopes are the only surviving members from that triumph and they, along with Test quick Ryan Harris, played key roles on Sunday as the Tigers slumped to 5 for 87.
Bulls captain Hopes bowled with venom and guile in claiming two wickets, including the prized scalp of former Test captain Ricky Ponting (6), while Hartley rescued the hosts with a gutsy century in the first session.
In the first ball of his spell, Hopes (2 for 47) clean-bowled Ponting as the Tigers skipper played across the line and missed an inswinger.
The medium-pacer also dismissed James Faulkner (3) while Harris (2 for 35) captured his first wickets of the match in a sizzling spell after being unlucky to miss out in the first innings.
Cowan and Tom Triffitt compiled a 51-run partnership before Harris went around the wicket to have Triffitt (35) caught in the slips by Andrew Robinson, his third catch of the innings.
Regular first-drop Alex Doolan (15) batted at number seven after experiencing back spasms on Sunday but he never looked comfortable, eventually caught hooking in the deep off the bowling of first innings hero Alister McDermott.
It does not take a brain surgeon to realise that Cowan is the only real stumbling block to the Bulls winning their seventh Shield title.
"I guarantee our bowlers will be gunning to get them for less than 150 tomorrow and I think if we can knock Cowan over, we're a big shot of doing that," Hartley said.
Earlier on Sunday, Hartley sparked the hosts' stunning revival with a superb knock of 111 in difficult batting conditions to guide the Bulls to a first-innings total of 276 - a handy lead of 35 runs.
It was Hartley's first Shield century in more than two years and it could not have come at a better time for the Bulls, who were reeling at 5 for 55 in the second session on Saturday.
"I was really glad that on a pretty tricky wicket and in a tough situation, I played the game I wanted to play," said Hartley, who has been battling a virus he picked up on Thursday.
"I've have to rate that (century) up there pretty highly."
Magoffin, despite suffering a back strain, chipped in with a valuable 31 in a 97-run partnership with Hartley, who was the last man dismissed when trapped lbw off the bowling of Jackson Bird (4 for 56).
ABC/AAP
Tags: cricket, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, hobart-7000, tas, australia First posted March 18, 2012 18:50:21
No comments:
Post a Comment