Victoria win KFC Twenty20 Big Bash final by 48 runs over South Australia

By Daniel Brettig
January 23, 2010

Victoria enhanced their standing as the strongest cricket state in the nation with a trouncing of South Australia in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash final, their fourth T20 title in five years.

The Bushrangers were missing as many as five first-choice players - skipper Cameron White, Ross Taylor, Dwayne Bravo, Clint McKay and Peter Siddle - yet they were able to wriggle free of SA's bowlers to post 7-166 then held the Redbacks to 9-118 for a 48-run victory.

A sell-out crowd of 17,722 was forced to accept that a painful 13-year wait for more SA silverware would go on for some time yet as they watched the recalled Aiden Blizzard (42 not out from 19 balls) lift Victoria to a strong total through some dramatic late hitting.

Dirk Nannes (1-8) set-up his side's defence by swerving the first ball of the SA innings into captain Graham Manou's pads for a clear lbw, and the talented teenager James Pattinson (3-27) pouched the wickets of Tom Cooper and Daniel Harris to slide the Redbacks to 3-13 and all but begin the visitors' celebrations.

Rearguards by Mark Cosgrove (22) and Kieron Pollard (44) were unable to pull back the lost ground.

Both were dismissed by all-rounder Andrew McDonald (3-21), leaving Victoria to laud a success made all the sweeter by the heavy loss of a qualifying match on this ground.

They owed much to Blizzard for pushing the Victoria innings beyond the mediocrity that had threatened for most of 20 overs.

In a reprise of his debut 89 from 38 balls against SA on this ground in 2007, Blizzard's innings including three sixes, the only of the innings - to push the visitors to a strong total despite the loss of regular wickets.

Opener Aaron Finch (48 from 34 balls) had helped Victoria make a firm start before they were held up by the accuracy of Aaron O'Brien (3-26), Gary Putland (1-27) and Mark Cleary (1-28).

Shaun Tait took a wicket from a no ball and another from a free hit, and was twice crashed into the half-constructed stands by Blizzard on the way to an expensive 0-42 from his four overs.

Pollard and Cosgrove briefly threatened to force a close finish, but Cosgrove inside-edged a big swing off McDonald before Pollard was expertly caught by David Hussey, who threw the ball skywards as he balanced over the boundary then regathered it safely inside the rope.

The Redbacks certainly missed the services of their free-spirited Pakistani signing Shahid Afridi, who might have made a considerable difference via his crafty legspin or hyper-aggressive batting.

However there was no denying the strength of the Victoria squad, given the fact that a hitter as powerful as Blizzard was playing his first match of the competition despite his obvious penchant for the T20 format.

The Bushrangers and the Redbacks will go on to take part in the lucrative T20 Champions League in India later this year.

Hussey said Blizzard's effort, which won him the man of the match award, was pivotal.

"Aiden Blizzard's final couple of overs to clear the pickets pretty much won the game," he said.

"It was a great selection, well done to the coaching staff and hopefully he can continue doing that through the season."

SA skipper Manou agreed the match had swung on the last few overs of Victoria's innings before being decided by the first few of the Redbacks'.

"The way Blizzard came in and effectively took the total to where they wanted it was pretty courageous batting," he said.

"He's only just come in for this game, so for him to do what he did in a final was pretty impressive.

"Then the first few overs batting just kills you."