Khawaja ends run drought in style

It hasn't rained in Sydney since August but Usman Khawaja ended a different kind of drought in the harbour city on Saturday.

Khawaja posted 85 in Queensland's 11-run win over Victoria at North Sydney Oval, his first half-century since the 79 he scored in the New Year's SCG Test back in January.

To be fair to the elegant left-hander, opportunities during that span have been like a mirage, seemingly close before disappearing into thin air.

After that knock in Sydney nine months ago, Khawaja played three one-day internationals against Pakistan then had to wait until the rain fell in August for his next innings, in Dhaka.

Having sat on the bench during Australia's four-Test tour of India and the entire Indian Premier League with Pune, the 30-year-old stood defiant as Australia A captain when the ‘A' tour to South Africa was abandoned in response to the failed negotiations of the new, now current, Memorandum of Understanding.

It meant Khawaja entered the first Test against Bangladesh with nothing but net form behind him and it didn't go well – two scores of one led to the first-drop being axed after one match.

Three weeks later he was back home, out in the middle of a cricket match with bat in hand.

He scored 79 for Valleys District Cricket Club against Western Suburbs in Brisbane Premier Cricket and backed it up with 162 against Wynnum-Manly a day later.

Those club knocks primed Khawaja for his return to elite-level cricket with the Bulls in the JLT One-Day Cup, but immediate success was not to be found.

Scores of 27 and eight at Brisbane's Allan Border Field didn't set the world on fire, but with Australia coach and national selector Darren Lehmann sitting in the stands on the weekend, Khawaja posted a calm, composed innings in Sydney that would've given both men plenty of confidence.             

"I've got a few runs in grade cricket but this was the first proper hit in domestic cricket," Khawaja told cricket.com.au after play.

"It was nice just to get out there and get a nice partnership with 'Renners' (opening partner Matthew Renshaw).

"It was tough work early on – the ball was stopping on that wicket, as it does at North Sydney. Once we got through that the runs started coming and we batted really well."

Khawaja and Renshaw put on 149 for the first wicket but neither batsman could kick on to triple figures.

The partnership provided a solid foundation for Queensland to post 6-309, ultimately a match-winning score.

While the Magellan Ashes looms in the not-so-distant future, Khawaja's immediate goal in the JLT Cup is a simple one.

"I want to win, just want to win," he said. "It's one of those tournaments where Queensland's been really strong over the years.

"Even since I moved up we've been a really good one-day side.

"For us it's really important that we keep playing good cricket because a lot of times you win one-day tournaments and it can lead into (JLT Sheffield) Shield stuff and gain some momentum from there.

"I want to score more runs, I'd like to get 185 (as opposed to his score of 85).

"At the end of the day I'm just happy the team won.

"If I get 85 and the team wins that's what's more important to me. If I get 50 or 200 and the team wins that's what's important.

"As long as we're winning and I'm contributing that's all I'm trying to do."

Queensland's next JLT Cup assignment is on Wednesday against undefeated Western Australia at Drummoyne Oval.