South Australia v Western Australia, Pura Cup, Adelaide, 1st day

Warriors threaten to waste good start

Cricinfo staff

March 8, 2007

Western Australia 2 for 23 (R Harris 2-10) trail South Australia 260 (Lehmann 66, Cosgrove 57, McLauchlan 3-75) by 237 runs
Scorecard

Darren Lehmann top-scored for the Redbacks with 66 © Getty Images

Western Australia stumbled in their bid to keep their slim final hopes alive, wobbling to 2 for 23 in reply to South Australia's 260. Ryan Harris struck twice as the Warriors faced a shaky 11-over period after the Redbacks again threw away a promising start to their own innings.

South Australia were playing only for pride as they tried to avoid the prospect of finishing a season winless for the first time since 1976-77. The Warriors need a win and other results to fall their way to sneak into the Pura Cup decider against Tasmania.

Danny McLauchlan, the left-arm fast man in his second first-class match, was Western Australia's most dangerous bowler and finished with 3 for 75. He removed Darren Lehmann for 66 after Lehmann and Mark Cosgrove showed good signs and took the score to 2 for 125.

Lehmann faced 92 deliveries before he edged McLauchlan onto the stumps trying to guide the ball to third man and when Cosgrove departed for 57, the Redbacks had tumbled to 6 for 179. They threatened to fall short of 200 until the lower order mounted a salvage operation, with Harris and Jason Gillespie adding 46 between them.

Harris continued to fight with the late dismissals of Justin Langer (10) and Aaron Heal, the night-watchman, for 0. He had both batsmen bowled and only Chris Rogers survived, reaching 12 not out at stumps.

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