Blues defeat Western Warriors

New South Wales has won a rain affected ING Cup match against Western Australia by 25-runs at the WACA Ground tonight.

Despite the best efforts of acting captain Damien Martyn, Chris Rogers and Adam Voges the 310-run target proved out of reach for the home side, though they were in contention when a heavy shower of rain, after 37 overs followed by persistent drizzle, saw play suspended for 28 minutes.

Earlier New South Wales won the toss and elected to bat with the start delayed by 15 minutes due to drizzle.

With forecast of showers the Blues openers, Phil Jaques and Craig Simmons, wasted little time in getting their team off to a flying start. Going at a run-a-ball the score ticked past 100 in the 17th over, Jaques' eighth boundary saw him pass 50.

While Jaques went on to a century, Simmons (41) fell to Brad Williams with an edge through to keeper Luke Ronchi. Williams picked up late wickets of Matthew Phelps (10), Dominic Thornely (18) and Matthew Nicholson to finish with reasonable figures of 4/57 off his 10 overs.

Corey Richards joined in with the big hits on his way to 62. Darren Wates was rewarded for his restrictive bowling with Richards scalp. Brad Haddin ensured the Blues would reached 300, the new record score for a visiting team at Perth, with three of the 6-sixes in the innings.

Marcus North and Michael Clark grabbed one wicket each. After being punished early Clark managed to capture Jaques in the 29th over, while Scott Meuleman helped North nab Haddin for 43.

Western Australia began slowly in reply, though losing Meuleman in the first over didn't help their cause. North and Rogers steered the locals past 50.

The change in bowling however saw North (21) caught behind by Phelps. Martyn then pushed the total over 100, but a midwicket mix-up saw Rogers run out in the 26th over just as the Warriors were about to hit the front on comparison. Martyn was, though, able to form a valuable 60-run fourth-wicket partnership with Voges.

Martyn plundered the Blues bowling for 76 (off 65 balls). However, looking to push the ball through the vacant slips he only managed to guide it straight to keeper Haddin, who had returned to the field after seeking attention to the hand injured recently on the Australia 'A' tour of Pakistan.

Needing 99 runs off 13 overs, when play resumed after the rain break, the innings demise was swift as Shaun Marsh found out when Doug Bollinger claimed his lone wicket with the second ball of the 38th over. Voges and Ronchi (14) put on 21-runs, off 18 balls, before Nicholson snared his second wicket.

Voges was eventually out for 59, and Nicholson had his third wicket. Aaron Bird at the other end also grabbed three wickets, though tail-enders Worthington and Brett Dorey were merely passengers in the fade out. Wates and Williams offered some resistance with a solid last wicket stand of 33, highlighted by two big sixes.

Next match, Both teams return for the Pura Cup match that begins here on Sunday. The ING Cup action returns next weekend with Western Australia away to South Australia on Saturday, and New South Wales host the season-opening return clash against Queensland at Sydney on the Sunday.

Full scorecard available here.

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