A 108-run partnership between Steve Waugh – playing his last game at the Sydney Cricket Ground – and Michael Bevan rescued New South Wales and helped them to a respectable 4 for 177 at close of play on the second day of the Pura Cup match against
AAP05-Mar-2004New South Wales 4 for 177 (Bevan 71*, S Waugh 65) trail Queensland 9 for 418 dec (Bichel 112, Nye 102) by 241 runs
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Michael Bevan pulls on the way to an unbeaten 71© Getty Images
New South Wales ended the second day of their Pura Cup match against Queensland on 4 for 177, with Michael Bevan on 71 and Mark Waugh yet to score in reply to Queensland’s 9 for 418 declared, a healthy total made possible by Andy Bichel’s career-best 112 and Aaron Nye’s 102 on debut. Meanwhile, Tasmania were on the verge of taking first-innings points against Victoria at the Bellerive Oval, a result which would effectively knock NSW, the defending champions, out of the competition and ensure that Steve and Mark Waugh bow out of first-class cricket this weekend.A typically defiant 65 from the Steve Waugh sparked another standing ovation – and chants of Steve Waugh (clap, clap, clap), Steve Waugh (clap, clap, clap) – from 3509 spectators in his last game at the SCG. He’ll go to bed tonight convinced there’s still some way that NSW can defend their title.But their chances nosedived when he was dismissed in the shadows of dusk, caught by Chris Hartley, the wicketkeeper, off Nathan Hauritz. Steve was unhappy with the decision of the umpire Ian Lock and hesitated before walking off.Earlier, Bichel was in a belligerent mood with the bat. Exactly 12 months ago, back when he was still considered worthy by the national selectors, he was in the middle of a golden run at the World Cup. He had just taken a riproaring 7 for 20 and made 34 not out in a matchwinning partnership with Bevan against England at Port Elizabeth, and was about to crack 64 alongside Bevan against New Zealand to keep Australia’s ultimately successful tournament on track.Bichel has since seemingly been assigned to the international scrapheap, but his abilities and competitiveness remain. His celebrations at the World Cup were almost tame compared to his reaction to reaching three figures today – his second ton for the Bulls. He whipped off his maroon helmet, kissed it, threw his arms in the air, bolted past the stumps and pointed his bat towards his hootin’-and-hollerin’ team-mates on the players’ balcony.Bichel, whose 189-run partnership with Nye rescued the Bulls from the perils of 6 for 202, went on to take the vital wicket of Michael Clarke, who fell for 13 to a tempestuous pull-shot that was caught on the square-leg fence. Bichel took 1 for 33 from 14 overs.Queensland limped into this crucial game with seven regular players unavailable against a NSW side overflowing with stars, but their veteran batsman Stuart Law predicted before the match that his side would thrive as underdogs.”Queensland, who are Queensland?” said Law. “Down this part of the world, it’s in everything we do. NSW and Victoria are supposedly better, but that’s good for us. If we come here and no-one is really talking about us, there’s no pressure on us. There’s a lot of pressure for the other team to get into that final.”Especially now, given that Waugh had said on Wednesday that there would be “no excuses” if his full-strength XI failed to win outright. Queensland can still make the final if they beat NSW outright, but only if second-placed Tasmania fail to beat top-ranked Victoria by the maximum margin in Hobart.Law dropped a hot chance off Bevan at second slip before he had scored. The full ramifications of that are yet to be seen.