Redbacks bite back to spoil Starc return

South Australia have spoiled Mitchell Starc’s comeback match with a 45-run win over the NSW Blues in the JLT One-Day Cup clash at Hurstville Oval on Friday.

Starc claimed 1-55 from 10 pain-free overs in his first match back since June’s Champions Trophy as the West End Redbacks piled up a match-winning 6-346 from 50 overs.

Centuries to opening batsman Jake Weatherald (103) and player of the match Alex Ross (110 from 84 balls) formed the backbone of the South Australian innings, with Ross hammering Test off-spinner Nathan Lyon (2-88) for four sixes in an over that went for 32 runs.

NSW were cruising at 1-202 after last-start century-maker Nic Maddinson was out for five early on, with Daniel Hughes carving out a hundred in concert with the classy Kurtis Patterson.

But the wicket of Hughes (105) and the run-out of Patterson (84) off consecutive deliveries rocked the Blues run chase.

Hughes’ wicket sparked a collapse of 5-50, and despite some late lusty hitting from Starc, the Blues couldn’t recover to eventually be all out for 301.

Joe Mennie was the pick of the Redbacks bowlers, claiming 4-53 to go with his 5-36 against Queensland at Allan Border Field.

"We had a disappointing loss first up but our group always seems to bounce back well," Ross told cricket.com.au after play.

"Our bowling group for to games has been outstanding.

"I thought that score today was about par but our bowling group just held through the middle and got us the win."

The win propels the Redbacks to the top of the JLT Cup ladder with two wins from three matches after stumbling to the Cricket Australia XI in their opening fixture in Brisbane.

South Australia take on Tasmania on Tuesday at North Sydney Oval while NSW will return to Hurstville on Sunday looking to bounce back against the CA XI.

South Australia XI: Jake Weatherald, Alex Carey, Callum Ferguson (c), Tom Cooper, Alex Ross, Jake Lehmann, Cam Valente, Joe Mennie, Michael Cormack, Nick Winter, Daniel Worrall

NSW XI: Dan Hughes, Nic Maddinson, Kurtis Patterson, Ryan Gibson, Ed Cowan, Peter Nevill (c), Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mickey Edwards, Harry Conway