Maher feeling bullish after win - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Maher feeling bullish after win

12/11/2004 07:30:03 PM Comments (0)

Queensland captain Jimmy Maher has compared his unbeaten Bulls with the powerful line-up that won the state's first Sheffield Shield in 1994-95.

Maher's praise for the current squad came after Queensland had beaten South Australia by 53 runs in the Pura Cup match at Adelaide Oval, after the Redbacks had provided unexpectedly stubborn last-day resistance.

The Bulls have won all five matches this season - against New South Wales and SA in the Pura Cup and against NSW and SA (twice) in the ING Cup one-day competition.

Maher declined to claim favouritism for the Pura Cup competition but he said the options within his talented team were "quite frightening".

"I still think we've got a bit up our sleeve ... but we can still go better, so that spells a bit of danger, I suppose, when we do actually get it right," Maher said.

"It's a solid start but we've still got to keep improving," said Maher before adding his team was "close to, if not as good as" the 1994-95 side.

Set the daunting target of 446 off at least 153 overs, the Redbacks made 392 after losing 5-254.

The Bulls were frustrated and, indeed, worried by three productive partnerships, particularly a ninth-wicket stand of 67 by Daniel Cullen (19) and Shaun Tait, who thrashed four sixes and three fours in making 58 off 57 balls - his first half-century in 15 Pura Cup matches.

Tait, whose previous highest score was 12, belted three on-side sixes off one over from off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and another six out of the ground over wide midwicket in Hauritz's next over - the last before lunch.

Paul Rofe (19 not out) also bettered his previous highest score of 17 while helping Tait add 31 for the 10th wicket.

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