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Warner comes out blazing on club return

Batsman shows no ill effects of recent elbow surgery to blast his way to quick-fire ton in NSW Premier Cricket one-day game

The day after Australia's one-day top order finally clicked, David Warner announced his return from elbow surgery with a blistering century in NSW Premier Cricket.

While Australia's players quickly turned their attentions from celebration in Ranchi to another must-win match in Mohali on Sunday night on their travel day in India, half a world away Warner was dishing out his typical belligerent treatment to club bowlers.

In his first match back since the elbow surgery that cut short his prolific stint in the Bangladesh Premier League, Warner blasted 110 from just 77 balls for Randwick-Petersham in their NSW Premier Cricket one-day match with Penrith.

Warner switches up stance in BPL


Set a target of 314, Warner came out blazing and smashed seven sixes and four fours in his 77-ball onslaught.

But his dismissal, caught by Brent Williams off the bowling of 18-year-old left-armer Henry Railz, spelled trouble for Randwick as they collapsed for 219.

The knock is a timely reminder of Warner's destructive abilities, although he will have plenty more opportunity at higher levels once his ban for orchestrating a ball-tampering plot expires later this month and he features in the Indian Premier League.

Nevertheless, it will be noted in India where National Selection Panel chairman Trevor Hohns admitted he still has some 19 names floating around in his head for consideration in Australia's World Cup squad.

Hohns this week said he wanted to see both Warner and fellow banned batsman Steve Smith competing again at the highest possible level – starting with exposure to some of the best white-ball bowlers in the world at the IPL.

"It'd be nice to see them perform but it's just a matter of playing," Hohns said in India after leaving both players out of Australia's ODI series against Pakistan where two matches will be played after their bans expire.

"We all know they're two of the better players in world cricket. So it's only natural we will take them seriously into consideration when we pick our World Cup squad.

"The main thing for them and us is to have them playing competitive cricket."

Aaron Finch's drought-breaking innings of 93 and Usman Khawaja's maiden ODI hundred were key contributors to Australia's 32-run win against India in Ranchi on Friday night to make that five-match series 2-1.

Khawaja scores first ODI ton, Finch finds form


And that pair will have several more matches in India and against Pakistan in the UAE to cement a combination heading into the World Cup.

"It was a matter of time before I got a few runs," Finch said today.

"I was always confident in the process I was going with ... I always had faith.

"It's time to back it up and continue on that now."

And while Australia may be sweating on the fitness of fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, he again had a front-row seat to some heroics from his elder brother Aaron on the second day of his match for Old Boys in the Tamworth District first grade competition.

Not yet fit to bowl, the Australian Test player made 39 batting at No.4 for Old Boys – the club he started playing first grade at as a 13-year-old to begin his journey to international stardom from nearby home town of Bendemeer. 

Image Id: FF23CBA1CA924177894309FDF41343CC Image Caption: Josh Hazlewood signs autographs in Tamworth // Old Boys Cricket Club

Josh Hazlewood has been a star attraction in the Tamworth region over the past week to inspire the next generation of country cricketers, visiting local club training sessions to work with juniors, talking to students at his old high school and joining in Woolworths Cricket Blast clinics.

But on field, Aaron Hazlewood was the star of the show against City United and last weekend claimed a career-best haul of 9-18 in 20.4 overs. He backed it up on the match's second day of play today with another six wickets for Old Boys to secure an outright win, taking 6-29 from 10.2 overs to finish with match figures of 15-47 in 31 overs.

Image Id: DEFBA8725F774969B2DBD12F6D17D847 Image Caption: Aaron Hazlewood is clapped off after his haul // Old Boys Cricket Club

Elsewhere in NSW Premier Cricket, a host of the Blues' JLT Sheffield Shield players were turning out for their clubs, but none made as pivotal an impact as Warner, who was aided by Jason Sangha's 33 from 15 balls as the pair put on 85 together.

Australia Test batsman Kurtis Patterson hit 38 for St George in a 100-run partnership with club captain Nick Stapleton who hit 170 from 166 balls. St George piled up 4-313 against Mosman, with Blues fringe quick Greg West going 0-61 from his 10 overs. NSW batsman Dan Hughes hit 48 from 39 balls in his side's reply.

Mickey Edwards took a wicket with the first ball of the match for Manly-Warringah in their game against Blacktown, while his brother Jack claimed two in 1.4 overs. But it was Michael Visser's 7-28 that did the bulk of the damage to bowl out Blacktown for 89 in 19.4 overs. Manly chased it down in 11.2 overs with Jack Edwards launching an 11-ball blitz of three sixes and four fours before he holed out on 34.

Blues captain Peter Nevill made 11 opening the batting for Eastern Suburbs in their defeat to Northern Districts, and Nick Larkin hit eight for Sydney Uni who overcame Wests.

In Victorian Premier Cricket, Carlton backed up their inaugural Fox Cricket National Premier T20 Championship with a win against the Camberwell Magpies with Eddy O'Sullivan taking 7-35. And Victoria batsman Matt Short hit 80 to lead Northcote to 8-369 despite four wickets to Melbourne Uni's Wes Agar.