Test opener Usman Khawaja made a solid start to the domestic season posting a half-century for Queensland but a stunning mid-innings collapse enabled Victoria to stay unbeaten after two matches of the one-day cup.
Khawaja, the only Test incumbent to turn out for his team through the opening five matches of the competition, made 57 as his team looked to chase down Victoria’s 240 at Junction Oval.
Cruising at 2-145, the Bulls then lost 5-28 as veteran seamer Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon’s spin understudy Todd Murphy stopped the visitors in their tracks.
“We knew they were very heavy at the top so we knew we could make a breakthrough at any point and put some pressure on them with a soft ball and a wearing wicket,” Murphy said.
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Murphy finished with 3-38 as Queensland all-rounder Michael Neser (49 off 41 balls) did his best to keep his team in the hunt, but ran out of partners and overs.
Needing 17 off the final over, bowled by Sam Elliott who took a record-setting 7-12 in the opening game, Neser swatted two massive sixes to but was caught on the boundary going for a third.
Queensland were all out for 234, falling seven runs short of their target.
“Ness played an unbelievable knock on a very tricky wicket, it seemed like it got harder and harder at the end there,” said Queensland captain Mitch Swepson, who earlier took 3-38.
“For him to get us into the game in that last over, incredible knock from him. Unfortunately, we just fell short.”
Earlier for the Vics, former Test opener Marcus Harris produced the best innings of the three matches so far at Junction Oval, posting 63 off 93 balls for the home team.
But it was a late rally from man of the week, fast bowler Sam Elliott, who slotted two late sixes in his 22-ball innings of 32 which helped the Vics reach the competitive target, having only passed 200 in the 45th over.
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