Redbacks into the final

A sparkling century by Greg Blewett was the cornerstone to South Australia’s 68-run victory over Queensland in the ING Cup clash in Brisbane tonight, guiding his team to their first final appearance in over a decade.

The former Australian Test batsmen knocked up 102 in only 93 balls as his side pounded 9-313 batting first - their highest one-day score in over 15 years - before restricting the Bulls to 245, and in the process collecting a bonus point.

The Redbacks now propel to 29 points on the table - equal with New South Wales - out of reach of Victoria (23 points), who were the only team who could overturn either team in the final round of matches.

The venue for next Sunday’s final is hinging on the Blues’ result against Western Australia this Sunday - a win will see the final in Sydney, while a Warriors victory will see South Australia hosting the final.

Queensland now finish with the unfortunate tag as cellar dwellers for 2005-06 for the first time in over a decade.

Chasing what appeared to be an insurmountable 314 for victory, openers Jimmy Maher and Matthew Hayden provided the Bulls with the perfect remedy in their brisk start.

However, the 34-run stand in only 35 deliveries was brought to an end when Maher was bowled by Jason Gillespie, while Hayden (16) fell four runs later at 2-38 - skying a hook shot off Gillespie to Ken Skewes.

Shane Watson (25 from 19) began the task of rebuilding, but the assignment became too difficult when he became Gillespie’s third scalp - bowled at 3-68 in the 12th over.

The scoreboard began to turn sour for the hosts when James Hopes (7) was caught behind off Mark Cleary at 4-76.

Clinton Perren and Brendan Nash attempted to salvage a rapidly sinking ship, before Nash (33) was trapped lbw to leg-spinner Cullen Bailey at 5-130 following a 54-run stand with Perren.

Perren shared in a further 39-run stand with keeper Chris Hartley, before Darren Lehmann had him stumped by Graham Manou at 6-169 for 45.

With victory beyond doubt and 250 required to prevent conceding the bonus point, Hartley and Andy Bichel fused together a defiant 39-run partnership to hoist Queensland to 6-208 in the 40th over, before Bichel (20), Nathan Hauritz (1) and Hartley (40) fell in the space of nine runs to leave the home side reeling at 9-217.

Ashley Noffke (19no) and Mitchell Johnson (8) still had other plans for that bonus point as they blasted a final-wicket partnership of 28 in only 22 balls, before Mark Cleary had Johnson caught by Daniel Harris five runs shy of the bonus-point-prevention target.

Cleary finished with 2-30 in 6.2 overs, while Gillespie had earlier bowled a superb spell of 3-55 from 10 overs, despite the expensive economy rate.

Earlier in the day, South Australia won the toss and elected for first use of the pitch, and the start was far from what they wanted - explosive batsmen Mark Cosgrove (1) caught in the slips by Hayden off Bichel at 1-7.

Though, that was the last hurrah for the home side in some time as Blewett and Harris shared in a majestic 184-run second-wicket partnership, pounding the Bulls’ bowlers to all ends in the park as they looked unstoppable.

Blewett brought a rise smile to the Redbacks contingent, bringing up his first ING Cup century of the summer in only 89 deliveries.

Harris, in his first match for the season, added a vital 77 runs, before both fell in the space of three runs - Blewett skying a pull shot to be caught by Hayden off Michael Kasprowicz for 102, while Harris departed at 3-194 when he was caught by Maher off Johnson.

The trademark collapse continued as the Redbacks slumped to 4-205 when Callum Ferguson (3) departed, with the visitors losing 3-14 in a devastating patch of 26 deliveries.

Captain Darren Lehmann (31) and Cam Borgas (42) steadied the ship, however, with a brisk 63-run stand in only 61 balls, hoisting South Australia to 4-268 with 31 balls remaining in the innings.

Despite a flurry of late-order wickets, with Hopes (3-65) cashing in the most, the visitors were able to propel their way to 9-313 courtesy of a quick-fire 24 by Skewes.

Graham Manou (8no from 7) and Shaun Tait (2no from 1) finished with red-ink.

Selected for the upcoming tour of South Africa, Johnson put in a polished spell of 1-34 in 10 overs, while the rest of the bowlers were spanked for almost seven-per-over.

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