Emerging Players Tournament final, Brisbane

New Zealand clinch Emerging Players title

Cricinfo staff

July 26, 2008

New Zealand Emerging Players 243 for 7 (Broom 62, Sullivan 3-50) beat Australian Institute of Sports 240 for 9 (O'Keefe 70, Ryder 3-35) by three wickets
Scorecard

The New Zealand Emerging Players, aided by Neil Broom's 62 and an all-round display from the captain Jesse Ryder, clinched the Emerging Players Tournament by defeating the Australian Institute of Sports after a tight chase at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. New Zealand also banked on an unbeaten 40 from Bradley-John Watling to see them through - they had lost three middle-order wickets for eight runs to briefly give the Australians hope.

Ryder chose to give his bowlers first use of the surface, but David Warner and Theo Doropoulos denied them any early advantage with a 68-run opening stand. Australia, however, did not make use of their good beginning, stumbling to 74 for 4. Bradley Scott, the left-arm seamer, accounted for two of those. Peter Forrest, Australia's captain, and Steve O' Keefe resurrected the innings with a 93-run fifth-wicket stand. Ryder, with his military medium pace, dismissed Forrest for 46, and took two more wickets, but O'Keefe, who extended his score to 70, combined well with the tailenders to take Australia to a respectable 240 for 9.

Ryder scored 36 in a 43-run opening stand with Martin Guptill before being caught by Khawaja off Grant Sullivan. Guptill (41) and Peter Ingram (27) put New Zealand on course, and they were in a solid position when Broom and Watling added 84 runs for the third wicket. Sullivan nailed Broom and Corey Anderson as New Zealand fell to 215 for 6, but Watling ensured that there was no further alarm by adding a vital 23 runs with Brandon Hiini before the victory was brought up.

The third-place play-off between the Emerging Players' Squads from India and South Africa at the WEP Harris Oval was washed out without a ball being bowled.

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