All-rounders Tipped To Decide One-day Final

The Age

Saturday February 24, 2007

LYALL JOHNSON

WITH an MCG pitch that is likely to play slowly and truly, Victoria's all-rounders are predicting they and their Queensland all-rounder counterparts could have a big impact on tomorrow's Ford Ranger Cup final.

The two teams contain the most all-rounders, with Victoria fielding three, in skipper Cameron White, Jon Moss and Andrew McDonald, and Queensland also with three, in James Hopes, Ashley Noffke and pinch-hitter Andy Bichel. Often it would also have Shane Watson.

"We have always had a couple of all-rounders in our team and the all-rounders we have bowl and bat pretty well at the MCG and so we'd all be hoping to have a big say in the result," White said.

"(Our all-rounders) are not the quickest bowlers, but they are suited to bowling at the stumps, which is probably what our game plan is.

"We've got Mossy, who is going to open the batting and be aggressive and get us off to a good start and bowl through the middle, and we've got McDonald, who will bat in his normal spot in the middle order and bowl through the middle overs."

Moss, who has found touch with the bat in the 50-over format after returning to the opening slot, said the unavailability of Watson - because of Australian coach John Buchanan's directive that World Cup squad members not play in the domestic final - would place more emphasis on Queensland's all-rounders.

"I think James Hopes is an exceptional cricketer," Moss said. "With the ball he has proven year after year that he does the same thing over again and is consistent.

"With the bat he's very dangerous and can get them off to a flyer at the top of the order if we don't bowl well to him.

"Bichel and Noffke, we know what we are going to get with the ball, but where their attributes lie is what they can offer with the bat.

"They have both got the ability to hit over the fence, which is something we have got to look out for."

McDonald, who has been in top form with bat and ball, believes Hopes in particular could be a key factor.

"He opens the batting for them and us stopping him having a good game is going to go a long way to us winning the game, I would have thought," McDonald said. "He's already got one century and about 20 wickets, so he's a real key for them.

"Watson not being there puts a little bit more pressure on Hopes, I would say. He's just coming back from injury, too."

Footscray-Edgewater paceman Gerard Denton yesterday withdrew from Victoria's 13-man squad, saving the selectors a decision.

Denton was unable to complete training yesterday as a result of his shin splints injury.

As replacements for Watson and Mitchell Johnson, Queensland has named left-arm pace bowler Scott Brant and all-rounder Nathan Reardon in its 12-man squad.

Brant had less-than-impressive figures of 0-33 off five overs the last time the teams played, in Melbourne in November, while Reardon, who played in Queensland's Twenty20 side last month, has not played a one-day match and is expected to carry the drinks.

THE FINAL

Victoria Bushrangers: Cameron White (c), Michael Klinger, Jon Moss, David Hussey, Rob Quiney, Aiden Blizzard, Andrew McDonald, Adam Crosthwaite, Grant Lindsay, Shane Harwood, Mick Lewis, Darren Pattinson (12th man to be named).

Queensland Bulls: Jimmy Maher (c), Andy Bichel, Scott Brant, Michael Buchanan, Chris Hartley, James Hopes, Ashley Noffke, Aaron Nye, Clinton Perren, Craig Philipson, Nathan Reardon, Chris Simpson (12th man to be named).

© 2007 The Age

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