Queensland storm into finals with three-wicket win

Queensland stormed into the final of the Matador One-Day Cup with a three-wicket win over Victoria at the Drummoyne Oval in Sydney on Tuesday (October 18), becoming the first team to secure their spot in the summit clash that will be played at North Sydney Oval on Sunday. The other sides in contention for the second spot are Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.

Victoria are currently placed second with 16 points, with little separating the other teams. However, if South Australia pick up a large-margin win over Tasmania and earn a bonus point, they will be in a position to usurp Victoria for second spot.

Opting to field bat against Queensland, Aaron Finch (79 off 81) and Cameron White (69 off 85) added 121 for the opening wicket, while the Victoria bowlers struggled to made inroads. However, Ben Cutting ran through the middle order to pick up four wickets and restrict Victoria to 278 for 7 in 50 overs.

Queensland squandered a good start provided by openers Usman Khawaja (38) and Jimmy Pierson (36), who added 70, before departing in successive overs. Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan Reardon, however, saw the side through with a 144-run stand as they finished with 282 for 7 in 46 overs.

Half-centuries from the Victoria opening pair provided the perfect platform for the side to post a large total. White strengthened his position at the top of the run-getters list for the tournament with his second fifty, in addition to two centuries with 453 runs, averaging 90.60. Glenn Maxwell joined White in the middle after Finch departed and added 60 runs, but Cutting cut his stay short, trapping him leg before for 20.

The entire middle order added runs with some 20s and 30s, but they failed to capitalise on their starts as the opening pair had done. Cutting finished with returns of 4 for 56 in ten overs, climbing to fifth spot for the most number of wickets in the competition with 10, behind Cameron Valente (14), Andrew Tye (12) and Pat Cummins and Arjun Nair who have 11 each.

Reardon and Labuschagne came together after Queensland had 97 on the board for the loss of three wickets, with Marcus Stoinis accounting for two. The pair played out 26.3 overs for their brilliant century stand that came at little under a run a ball.

Reardon departed in the 40th over, putting his side in a comfortable position for victory. While he departed for a 75-ball 64, Labuschagne scored 89 off 98. Jason Floros and Michael Neser fell in successive overs but Cutting came in and wrapped up proceedings with a four, six and four off consecutive deliveries as Queensland picked up their fifth win in six games.

Stoinis finished with three wickets, while Michael Beer and John Hastings had two.

The last group-stage game of the tournament will be contested between NSW and WA at North Sydney Oval, while South Australia take on Tasmania in Hurstville.

Brief scores: Victoria 278/7 in 50 overs (Aaron Finch 79, Cameron White 69; Ben Cutting 4-56) lost to Queensland 282/7 in 46 overs (Marnus Labuschagne 89, Nathan Reardon 64; Marcus Stoinis 3-37) by three wickets.