A classy cameo from wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has steered NSW to a three-wicket victory over Queensland early on day four of the Bupa Sheffield Shield clash at Manuka Oval.
The Blues, who resumed at 4-48 needing a further 50 runs, suffered an early setback when Steve Smith was caught behind with the sixth delivery of the day off Ben Cutting (4-30).
Haddin and skipper Stephen O'Keefe (six) put on a valuable 37-run stand before the skipper was run out comfortably in a disastrous mix up.
The hosts suffered another major setback next ball when Haddin was brilliantly caught by Luke Feldman off Cameron Boyce (1-35) for 33 to leave the Blues precariously placed at 7-88.
But all-rounder Sean Abbott made light work of the remaining 10 runs, reaching victory with a boundary off Cutting after an hour of play on the final day.
Cutting was the pick of the Bulls bowlers, almost single-handedly dragging the visitors to an unlikely victory before Haddin, who hit four boundaries on Friday, intervened.
The big quick removed Peter Nevill (zero), Scott Henry (13) and Moises Henriques (zero) in the space of eight deliveries on Thursday afternoon to leave the hosts reeling at 4-28, giving the Bulls a sniff.
But it wasn't to be for the Queenslanders.
NSW's second win of the season lifts them to fourth position on the Sheffield Shield table on 14 points, six adrift of the Bulls who remain in top spot despite their second defeat of the campaign.
Haddin's match-winning knock capped another strong outing for the Australian Test representative, who made a polished 73 in the Blues' first innings.
Smith was the only batsman to seriously challenge triple figures in a match dominated by the ball, scoring 90 in the hosts' first dig.
Rookie leg spinner Adam Zampa finished with five wickets for the match on debut while in-form quick Doug Bollinger also claimed five scalps, including 4-57 in the Bulls' first innings.
For the Bulls, Nathan Reardon and Chris Hartley both struck half centuries on day one while Cutting capped a strong all-round display with valuable knocks of 37 and 31.
First Posted 30 November, 2012 12:05PM AEST
