Queensland skipper Chris Simpson admits his team is yet to conquer their batting demons despite the Bulls’ comprehensive 127-run Sheffield Shield victory over Western Australia at the WACA Ground.
After failing to post a score higher than 245 in their first two games, Queensland managed just 208 in their first innings against WA before Ryan Broad’s defiant 118 lifted the Bulls to 8-321 declared in their second dig.
Chasing 324 runs for victory, the Warriors were bowled out for 196 shortly before tea on day four with Luke Pomersbach (104) playing a lone hand for the home side.
“Everyone’s batting’s vulnerable, that’s the way cricket is,” Simpson said.
“You lose wickets in clumps which we’ve done for the past two weeks, so until you turn up next week and better that then that’s going to be the case.
“If you’ve got your key guys scoring runs then that’s a good start.
“There’s no hiding from the fact that we’ve had batting issues.
“The way that bowling is at domestic level at the moment is very, very strong and if you’re not on your game you’re going to be found out.
“For us to be able to post a total like that (in the second innings) on the back of Ryan is going to give us some confidence going into the next couple of games.”
Warriors skipper Marcus North described the loss as a “minor hiccup”.
“I don’t think we were as polished as we were in the first couple of games,” North said.
“We missed some opportunities in the field which was quite costly.
“Myself dropping Broad twice before he got to 30 was quite big in the context of the game.”
WA’s run chase got off to a disastrous start today as man of the match Ashley Noffke (4-27) and Ryan Harris (3-55) ripped through the Warriors’ top order.
Pomersbach, who was dropped on 0 and 35, lifted the Warriors from 7-127 to 7-189 but his dismissal sparked the end as WA’s tail crumbled.
Simpson paid tribute to Noffke, who finished with match figures of 7-78 to go with a quick-fire 40 in the second innings.
“We know how valuable he is for us with the bat and the ball and without him it does put a big hole in our side,” he said.
WA failed to claim any points after falling two runs short of Queensland’s first-innings total of 208.
It was the Warriors’ first four-day loss at home in more than a year, ending a six-match unbeaten run at the WACA.
Queensland’s second outright win of the season lifted them to equal top of the table with WA on 12 points, although the four other States have a game in hand.
