KFC Twenty20, 2007-08

Lockyear blasts confident Tasmania home

Cricinfo staff

January 6, 2008

David Hussey starred with bat and ball for Victoria © Getty Images

Tasmania 2 for 131 (Lockyear 64) beat South Australia 7 for 127 (Ferguson 40) by eight wickets
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Rhett Lockyear blasted 64 from 27 balls to give Tasmania a comprehensive victory over South Australia that almost certainly booked the Tigers the right to host the Twenty20 final. Tasmania passed the Redbacks' total in the 11th over after Lockyear's pyrotechnics saw Jason Gillespie and Ryan Harris go at 15 and 17 an over respectively. Michael Dighton made 30 from 21 deliveries as Tasmania made a mockery of South Australia's target. The Redbacks had labored in reaching 7 for 127 from their 20 overs with Nathan Adcock taking 42 balls to reach 39 and Callum Ferguson top scoring with 40 off 36. Ben Hilfenhaus was difficult to get away, claiming 2 for 21 from his four overs.

Victoria 6 for 154 (Hussey 70) beat New South Wales 8 for 142 (Thornely 26) by 12 runs
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David Hussey removed New South Wales' two top scorers with his part-time offspin after making 70 himself to put Victoria back on the winners' list with a 12-run victory. The Bushrangers, fresh from their first-ever Twenty20 loss, were set up by Hussey's 40-ball innings which rescued them as only two other players reached double-figures in their 6 for 154. Brad Hodge made 44 but Nathan Bracken's miserly 2 for 20 from four overs gave the Blues a strong chance of victory, if their batsmen didn't get rattled. However, Hussey also grabbed 2 for 20 from four overs and had Dominic Thornely caught for 26 and Steve Smith stumped for 24, which left too much work for the lower order. A late 20 not out from Matthew Nicholson got New South Wales close, but they had to settle for their second loss of the season.

Western Australia 6 for 157 (Marsh 70) beat Queensland 9 for 154 (Watson 51, Dorey 3-19) by 4 wickets
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David Bandy struck a cool and collected 34 to take Western Australia through to a nail-biting four-wicket win over Queensland in Perth. Queensland were restricted to 9 for 154 in spite of a blistering 51 from Shane Watson, who rescued their innings after Brett Dorey's 3 for 19. Western Australia were out of the traps quickly thanks to Shaun Marsh's 70 from 49 balls, which included eight crunching fours, but Queensland hit back with regular wickets to stifle the run-rate. 25 were needed from 14 balls, and although Bandy lost Sean Ervine and Theo Doropoulos, he and Aaron Heal held their nerve to squeeze home off the final ball.

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