Third Under-19 ODI: Australia Under-19s vs Cricket Web Under-19s
at Hobart
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
One of the most incredible Under-19 innings ever seen, an utterly dominant run-a-ball 120 from Matt Luff in bowling-friendly conditions at Hobart, trumped David Murphy and the Australians as the Webheads took the U19 ODI series by 2-1 after a dramatic last ball victory. It completed a remarkable tour comeback, and though Ashley Arnold had considerably less success than in the tour match here two days ago, he still impressed with his fielding performance, taking a vital catch to dismiss Simon Keen when well set.
Earlier, Forner and McNamara had wasted the new ball, allowing openers Murphy and Sarma to settle as they paired up for 69 for the opening wicket. Murphy and Hughes pushed forwards, but George Roberts returned for possibly his most important contribution on tour, a brace of wickets through a return catch off Hughes and a sharp point chance held by Ritchie to dismiss captain Wade. The hosts wobbled after that, and Pares celebrated three wickets in a fine second spell, but Forner and McNamara were still found wanting when asked to close the innings, allowing Hill and Burns 43 possibly vital runs for the eighth wicket as the hosts batted out fifty overs.
After ten overs, the situation looked positively hopeless. The openers had barely survived the testing opening spell, but the required rate had soared to 5.5 an over, as Luff and Hopgood had scraped together 28 off the first 60 deliveries, and looked at a very low ebb indeed.
However, the Webheads flowed back into the back. Boundaries were littered throughout the second and third powerplay sessions, a total of nine fours and one six collected during the overs 11 through 17, and though Hopgood was eventually held on 47, the damage had already been done. Luff kept on charging, allowing the batsmen at the other end to concentrate on not getting out, which they failed at with depressing regularity; though only Dwyer passed 20 of his batting partners, there were stands worth 25, 43, 32 and 15. Luff tired towards the end, giving up an easy chance to Burns at mid off which could have been critical, as David Pares and Chris Dwyer were left with another rescue operation with the bat. Day kept things close with a barrage of yorkers, and by the final over, Cricket Web required four to win, having needed only 26 off 34 when Luff got out; Pares and Dwyer played and missed once each during the first five deliveries, taking singles off the other three, which left the scores tied. Austin attempted a blockhole finish, but overpitched by a couple of feet, allowing Dwyer to swing through the line and see the ball vanish for six over square leg, a fitting finale to an outstanding game of cricket and a fine series.
Australia Under-19s 246 for seven (50 overs)
D Murphy 93; DPW Pares 3-36, GM Roberts 2-44
Cricket Web Under-19s 252 for six (50 overs)
MD Luff 120, M Hopgood 47; MW Hill 3-45, MR Day 2-49
Cricket Web Under-19s won by four wickets
Man of the Match: M. D. Luff (Cricket Web Under-19s)