Graeme Batty
COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Only two hurdles remain for the NSW after the Bush Blues inched closer to another Australian Country Cricket Championships crown with a 132-run victory over East Asia Pacific yesterday.
Inspired by Pat Rosser's swashbuckling 110 from just 92 balls, NSW recovered from a precarious position on day one to record their fifth straight win at Bundaberg.
Victory in tomorrow's limited-overs clash against Northern Territory and then against Victoria, the Bush Blues' nearest challengers for top spot, on Monday will seal the title for NSW.
NSW skipper and Keira representative batsman Graeme Batty made 28 in NSW's first innings haul of 331.
Fellow strokemaker Tim Laws, one of four Illawarra representatives in the NSW squad, hit three boundaries and two sixes in a whirlwind 26 from just 17 deliveries.
But NSW were indebted to Rosser, who marshalled the side's recovery after they slumped to 7-170. He shared in a 91-run union with Cameron Belshaw (44) for the eighth wicket before cutting loose at the end of the innings.
East Asia Pacific never threatened to notch an unlikely win and were eventually bundled out for just 199.
Victoria blasted its way into second spot after Robert Wilson hammered an unbeaten double century as they cruised to a 102-run win over South Australia.
Wilson's near run-a-ball 201 was the catalyst for Victoria to rack up an imposing 7-377 before they restricted their opposition to just 275.
South Australia's Adam Somerfield was the last man out, remarkably hitting 116 of his 132 runs in boundaries including half-a-dozen sixes.
Victoria will play ACT in their penultimate match tomorrow.
