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Relaxed Redbacks have nothing to lose

The men from South Australia enter the Matador Cup final as rank outsiders – just the way they like it

The 11 West End Redbacks players that will play in Sunday's Matador BBQs One-Day Cup final, selection permitting, will boast a total of just 43 matches of international experience between them.

The NSW Blues side they will come up against, led by the Australian captain and spearheaded by the world's best one-day bowler, will likely feature a total of 336 international games, with up to 10 of their 11 having tasted the biggest stage in the world.

It makes Sunday's decider at North Sydney Oval a complete mismatch on paper, especially given the Blues thrashed the Redbacks by 156 runs just over two weeks ago.

But being the underdogs suits the Redbacks just fine.

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They've been unfancied for the entire competition having won just two matches from their previous two years of one-day cricket.

But they've now won five out of seven games this campaign, the latest a 56-run triumph over a Victorian side that itself featured eight international players.

The men from South Australia entered the match at Drummoyne Oval as rank outsiders – just the way they like it.

"We enjoyed it," coach Jamie Siddons told cricket.com.au. "That was our talk at the start that we had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"There was only one team that had something to lose at that wasn't us. We just wanted to play some good cricket and out them under some pressure.

"That we win a game like that quite comfortably in the end, I guess is a little surprising. But anything's possible when the boys are playing as a team.

"That's what we wanted at the start of the year and we've put it together pretty early.

"They've deserved it so much. They've put in a massive pre-season (and) I'm really proud.

"They have come from nowhere. We knew we were underdogs and not expected to do much (in the Matador Cup) so we came here to prove a point that we'd put in a big hard pre-season we've done that." 

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Siddons identified Joe Mennie and Alex Ross as just two players who have performed well above expectations so far in this competition.

Mennie, a 26-year-old fast-bowler from the NSW north coast, and Ross, a Melbourne-born 23-year-old who only made his first-class debut last season, combined for the match-turning partnership on Friday on another slow surface in Sydney's inner west.

With SA flailing at 6-132, the pair added 64 in just 10 overs before Mennie perished for a run-a-ball 33, with Ross going on to fall just three runs short of what would have been his maiden domestic century.

Then, as they did against the Vics at Bankstown Oval just a week beforehand, the Redbacks bowlers choked the star-studded Bushrangers batting line-up to finish the job and secure a place in the final.

While conceding there will be a lot more on the line in Sunday's decider than there was at Drummoyne on Friday, Siddons will again lead his side in a low-key build-up.

"We've got a final to lose and we'd like to win it now," Siddons said.

"I think we'll be pretty relaxed. A couple of the guys will have a session at the beach (on Saturday) and a couple will have a hit but we'll be pretty relaxed when we get to the ground.

"No one's expecting us to get over the top of NSW with (Mitchell) Starc and co, so if we can get over the top of him, we can do anything."

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So will the all pressure be on the Blues, as it was the Bushrangers on Friday night?

"They probably don't feel pressure," Siddons said with a laugh.

"They've got Test players. We're playing against Australia almost so I don't think they'll succumb to pressure but if we put enough on them, you never know.

"They lost their last game (to Victoria) so that's probably what we'll be talking about. There's a couple of key wickets there and if we can get them we can put them under some pressure.

"We've got our same philosophy with every game. We just go out there with belief and no fear of failure.

"And this sort of thing can happen if you've got the talent, which they do."

This could be more mind games from Siddons, or maybe just a sign of the confidence that is now flowing through this South Australian side.

But even if they aren't able to pull off the improbable on Sunday, the Redbacks have already done what they came to Sydney to do.

They've proved a point. And just maybe, they've given hope that years of disappointing results at the Adelaide Oval may be about to turn around.