Tour match vs New South Wales
CW fielded their full Test side in their only warm up match. the home side won the toss, and chose to bat first on a pitch that looked full of runs.
Dong got the CWers onto the board as his ninth delivery took out Pilon's stumps before he had conceded a run. Clarke survived a very tight lbw shout for his first delivery, and could only manage 5 before Winne struck to bowl him.
Thornely only just made it to double figures before Winne trapped him lbw, and when Haddin lost his leg stump to Capone, CW had siezed control within the first hour as NSW were reduced to 50/4.
The home side began to recover from there as Mail and Zammit took them to lunch without further damage, and Mail brought up his half century with the first ball after the break. Progress was slow against the spinners, but after the 100 came up, a moment of madness had Mail run out on 62 (155). Zammit's innings continued to be painful to watch, and the pressure eventually gave when he was run out, falling for 19 off 105 balls.
NSW progressed slowly, from 120/6 to 160/6. CW were choking the life out of them on the flat wicket, and Phelps was on 24 from 85 when he tried to hit Dean over the top and was stumped shortly after tea. Dean was into the tail now as Braken and Clark were bowled with successive deliveries, and though Bollinger defended the hat trick ball, he was cleaned up two overs later. Dean claimed 4-40 as NSW were dismissed for 185.
CW had 19 overs to survive until the close. Narang didn't manage it as he edged to slip on 21 (Heads, making a slow start, had managed only 3 by this point) and was caught well by Clarke, diving to his right. Heads and Ballich saw them to the close in comfort, on 53/1.
The pair started well the following morning, bringing up CW's hundred, but Heads fell for 33 soon after as he edged to gully. Ballich reached his fifty, and he and Dharan started to move at a healthy lick on the batsman's surface. They were 171/2 at lunch.
Both fell in quick succession after the hundred partnership came up, Ballich for 88 and Dharan for a positive 56 off 85. Riley was unable to shake his poor form, contributing a scratchy 15 off 63, but Spark was able to reach an unbeaten fifty by the tea interval as the lead passed 100.
It became the third unconverted fifty of the innings as he was bowled for 68. NSW summond a brief fightback, as Winne (caught behind for 27) and Hing (lbw for 1) allowed Bollinger his third and fourth wickets. When Capone was caught at slip for 5, CW had slid from 310/5 to 328/9. It took a thrashy cameo of 24 from Dean, among a last wicket partnership of 34, to just keep the CWers in firm control. They had earned a lead of 177, and there was just time for a maiden from Dong before stumps.
CW got some luck early on the final morning as Pilon gave Winne a feather to get strangled down the leg side. Looking to save the match, Clarke and Mail frustrated the away bowlers for an hour before Capone bowled Mail, the score now 48/2. Dean got the outside edge of Thornely (5 off 37 balls) and Clarke (30 off 76). Dean's final delivery of the morning session took out Haddin's stumps, but he'd overstepped. The offie was starting to get some purchase out the third-day SCG pitch, and NSW were in trouble on 82/4 at lunch.
Haddin was to make his second chance count as he compiled a composed half century in the afternoon, but CW were in charge of proceedings and took regular wickets. Zammit (11 off 49) was bowled by Hing and Phelps (9 off 49) nicked off against Winne as the bowlers got through the middle order. Bracken attempted a counter-attack to get the lead, but Capone rattled the tailender's stumps with him having made 12. Going into the final session, the home side were 166/7.
Dean came back on after tea and soon bowled Nash for 9, but Haddin and Clark clung on to take the lead just as the new ball was taken - Haddin aided once again, this time by Spark dropping a simple catch off Dean. Dong nonetheless was able to finish off the tail with the new ball, Clark edging to slip before Bolliger played on.
Haddin was 74* from 217 balls, and CW would need 19 runs to win in around 45 minutes. Their openers knocked off the total with ease to complete a comfortable win.
CW won by 10 wickets
MotM - Mark Dean