Queensland Jump To The Lead

After all teams have completed two matches each, Qld have jumped to the lead in the Sheffield Shield after winning both of their opening games. The Qlders thumped Tasmania this week after beating Victoria comfortably last week, both games being at headquarters. Western Australia, on the strength of a great start at the batting crease by Liam Davis and Adam Vogues, are the only other side to win a game but were unlucky not to add to that tally in Adelaide. 

Cullen Bailey hanging in
to salvage a draw

SA v WA
The Sandgropers started the day needing seven wickets and lost 35 overs during the day after having South Australia 4-47 at lunch. When play finally resumed, Coulter-Nile, Hogan and Beer grabbed 5 wickets between them as the Redbacks held on for thirty overs adding only 62 but it appeared in vane with plenty of time still left to break up the last pair of Peter George and Cullen Bailey. For the next 22 overs, the pair forgot about runs and just kept their wickets intact, adding only 13. It was the hardest work for no points either are likely to achieve
Scorecard
NSW v Victoria
Some other side must have been playing Victoria at the SCG for the first three days as some senior Blues stood up to be counted on the last day and deny Victoria outright points. Undone in this game by an inept batting performance on the first day (Henriques aside), two of the leaders took responsibility with a 216 run 5th wicket stand which got NSW to a safe position. Simon Katich and Ben Rohrer both made good hundreds to dispel any theories that the SCG wicket had been difficult. Henriques and Nevil made sure of the draw in the latter order as Victoria ran out of options beyond a long bowl for both of their spinners. This may be a continuing saga for the Big V who look a little thin on penetration this season. NSW hold bottom position.
Scorecard

Take that - Simon Katich on the
front foot again.

Off the field, Simon Katich finally fessed up to the remainder of his true feelings at his ugly dismissal from the contract list, stating what the rest of the cricket public have been thinking about the involvement of Michael Clarke in his demise. Katich made it clear to the media after the match that grabbing the then vice captain by the throat two years earlier in a fit of patriotic zeal, had probably been enough reason for Clarke to seek retribution once he went from Pup to Big Dog. What's the difference between Katich and Clarke? One was thinking of country, whilst the other... well, you can work it out. Katich could well be a right royal pain in the butt for Cricket Australia over the next two seasons, especially if he does what he did today and scores runs. If so, then CA and not Andrew Hilditch can only blame themselves. It was one thing if Clarke moved against Katich, another if Hilditch and fellow selectors agreed but why in the name of all that is sane did CA let the thing go forward? Clarke is unlikely to dignify the comments with a response in what has become a classic Kat and Pup fight.
Postscript
Read Peter Roebuck's response in the SMH (29/10/11) which makes some fair points in both defence and against Katich. His concluding comment that Katich was "a batsmen out of form playing in a losing side" is a clanger though. If Katich was out of form then its hard to imagine how you would rate Ponting and Clarke over the same period. Out of form? Quite the reverse Mr Roebuck. His form was better than a resurgent Hussey and was the equal of Australia's best cricketer for the period, Watson. Roebuck on Katich