Veteran seamer Peter Siddle produced a vintage performance with the ball as Victoria kept their slim hopes of reaching the final of the Marsh One-Day Cup alive
Match Report:
ScorecardSiddle on song as Vics clinch narrow one-day win
An inspired late spell from Peter Siddle ensured Victoria claimed a tense victory over Marsh One-Day Cup strugglers New South Wales, despite a valiant hand from Moises Henriques on Sunday.
Young gun Will Sutherland came up clutch for the hosts in a thrilling climax under the MCG lights, taking a superb outfield catch before clean bowling Henriques two runs short of his century in the penultimate over with a brilliant yorker.
With their No.10 and 11 needing 12 to win off the final over, Victoria sealed a six-run triumph when Sutherland took another outfield catch.
Matt Short anchored Victoria's competitive first-innings total of 265 striking two sixes and looked on track for a maiden century before falling for 88 off 85 balls.
The off-spinning allrounder then opened the bowling and stopped NSW opener Daniel Hughes (83 off 85) in his tracks with a match-turning wicket, trapping him lbw to swing the game Victoria's way.
It took five Victorians, but they've found the ball! 😂 #MarshCup pic.twitter.com/dK1QF1NzRH%E2%80%94 cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 17, 2019
Henriques, who hit six fours and a six, reduced the equation to 12 required off the final seven balls before Sutherland bowled him for 98 off 111 balls.
Teenage prodigy Jake Fraser-McGurk continued his dream start to his professional career, posting a half-century on his List A debut having done the same in his first Marsh Sheffield Shield game earlier this week.
The win puts the Vics in fourth position but, having failed to secure a bonus point, now need to achieve a double bonus-point win over South Australia on Tuesday to stand a chance of making the November 26 final.
The Blues remain rooted to the bottom of the Marsh Cup ladder, with the loser of their match against fifth-placed Tasmania at Blundstone Arena on Tuesday set to take the wooden spoon.
Henriques looked to have found a capable ally in tail-ender Daniel Sams, who smashed a six into the empty Great Southern Stand that required five Victorians to find the ball, before Sutherland ran back to take a screamer.
What a catch from Will Sutherland! @MarshGlobal | #MarshCup pic.twitter.com/evVHcUCI0s%E2%80%94 cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 17, 2019
The 17-year-old Fraser-McGurk upped the tempo fearlessly after coming in at 4-150, smashing seven fours and a six in his 49-ball 54 and putting on 95 for the sixth wicket with Short.
Marcus Harris scored a brisk 44 off 38 deliveries in his first game since being dropped from Australia's Test squad, but was one of Sams' five victims with the left-armer finishing with 5-46.
Sams also grabbed the prized scalps of birthday boy Aaron Finch (11) and skipper Peter Handscomb (36).
Victoria looked set to post 300-plus but lost 6-20 after the exit of Fraser-McGurk with eight overs to go.
At 1-143 at the halfway point of their chase, the Blues looked assured of victory as Hughes and Henriques made light work of Victoria's less-experienced bowlers.
But Short (2-21 off six overs) backed up his earlier work with the bat in striking twice with his off-spin, including the prized wicket of Hughes.
Siddle then worked over Jason Sangha in the youngster's first game of the season before having both him and captain Peter Nevill caught behind in a brilliant spell with the old ball.
Victoria: Peter Handscomb (c), Aaron Finch, Sam Harper (wk), Marcus Harris, Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Will Sutherland, Peter Siddle, Jon Holland, Xavier Crone, Andrew Fekete
NSW Blues: Daniel Hughes, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Matthew Gilkes, Nick Bertus, Jason Sangha, Peter Nevill (c/wk), Daniel Sams, Arjun Nair, Harry Conway, Liam Hatcher