NSW give Eagles the blues
Simon Katich led from the front as New South Wales Blues handed the Diamond Eagles an embarrassing 53-run defeat.
Simon Katich top scored with 53 - off 41 deliveries - as New South Wales made 144 for six.
Click here for Diamond Eagles' innings highlights
Katich then engineered two run-outs as his experienced bowling attack restricted the Diamond Eagles' reply to a paltry 91 for nine.
Click here for the highlights of the New South Wales' innings
Katich elected to take first strike but NSW were circumspect at the start and lost Phil Jacques cheaply.
However, Katich got things rolling with boundaries on either side of the strip for his first runs and guided a third through point in the same over from Dillon Du Preez, the new-ball bowler yielding 12 in his second over.
Click here to see the boundaries in the NSW innings
Ryan McLaren was clubbed out of the attack and when David Warner (23) savaged fast bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk, Eagles captain Boeta Dippenaar was left scratching around for options.
Watch Shadley van Schalkwyk interview
He found refuge in off-spinner Thandi Tshabalala and medium pacer Victor Mpitsang, the two helping rein in NSW's batsmen with an accurate line, although they were backed nicely by a strong show in the field.
Katich reached his half-century - off only 37 deliveries - with a six off the spinner but the momentum shifted the Eagles' way when he was sent back almost immediately after Warner was scalped by Ryan Bailey.
Catch Doug Bollinger during the match
The quick strikes left New South Wales in some trouble but Moises Henriques (26) and Ben Rohrer (22 not out) threw their bat around to give the score respectability.
Click here to watch the fall of NSW wickets
The Eagles' response was quickly reduced to a feeble whimper by NSW's superior bowling attack.
Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Nathan Hauritz picked up wickets in their first overs as the Eagles crumbled to 24 for five inside seven overs.
Listen to match updates and analysis
Lee scalped opener Rilee Rossouw, Clark claimed batsman Morne Van Wyk, who had earlier been dropped, while fellow opener Adrian McLaren - the only batsman in the top six to get to double figures - was brilliantly run out by Katich for 11.
Click here for Cricket Match Center
When Clark added the wicket of Dippenaar to his tally, it was all over.
Stay updated with all the on-field and off-field action from the world of cricket
New South Wales: MC Henriques, PJ Hughes, BJ Rohrer, DLR Smith†, SPD Smith, B Lee, NM Hauritz, SR Clark, DE Bollinger, DA Warner, SM Katich
Diamond Eagles: AP McLaren, RR Rossouw, MN van Wyk†, HH Dippenaar*, D Elgar, RT Bailey, R McLaren, D du Preez, SC van Schalkwyk, T Tshabalala, PV Mpitsang
Click here to buy CLT20 tickets
Powered by Disqus
Join us on Facebook