Date-stamped : 15 Jan95 - 18:39 WSC 1994/95 : Australia "A" v Australia - FINAL #1 of 3 played at the SCG, Sydney (D/N), 15 January 1995 Paceman Glenn McGrath and opener Matthew Hayden jousted in mid- pitch as if in a Sheffield Shield final before Australia grasped a last-ball win in the first World Series final at the SCG last night. In a tepid affair that suddenly boiled up into a last- over thriller, Ian Healy smashed a boundary behind point to snatch victory by five wickets from the Australia A side - 5-213 to 8-209. Later, International Cricket Council referee John Reid chided McGrath and Hayden and issued strong reprimands to the players. Australia must now win the second final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow to claim the best-of-three-game World Series tournament. What seemed a formality in a final played out in near deafening silence for the most part before almost 36,000 spectators erupted into a desperately close-run thing with two overs left. With Australia requiring just 9 runs from 12 balls, pacemen Greg Rowell (0-52) and Shane George (1-42) defended their total so fiercely that the scores were tied with one ball remaining. Rowell delivered a full toss, which Healy slashed to the unguarded boundary near the Members' Stand. If the game rarely developed the atmosphere and parochialism invariably associated with a final, the sudden turn of events with the potential for an astonishing tie triggered an avalanche of roaring and cheering. Spectators were reluctant to take sides, the Barmy Army was conspicuously absent and personal pride was involved more than patriotic fervour, so that the mid-pitch pouting and pushing by the big men McGrath and Hayden was almost welcome relief. Hayden (50) clipped McGrath (1-44) behind point and as he cruised along the wicket, watching the ball carry to the fence, McGrath hoisted hands to hips. Hayden did not take kindly to McGrath's elbow in his ribs and stalked back along the pitch to give McGrath a piece of his mind. McGrath shoved the Queenslander's shoulder. If there was some uncertainty in referee John Reid's mind, there was none as he watched the many TV replays. After the subsequent hearing with the players charged with conduct unbecoming, Reid said the matter could have had severe repercussions had the game involved Australia and a rival country. Australian captain Mark Taylor said: "It's going to happen in a game of cricket. It's a spur-of-the-moment thing. It was all over in five seconds. They will have a beer tonight and it will all be forgotten." Before the game, national selectors Steve Bernard and Peter Taylor stood beside the wicket, determining Paul Reiffel's waste of talent as 12th man for Australia and choosing both spinners, Gavin Robertson and Peter McIntyre, for the A team, squeezing out paceman Jo Angel. Winning the toss in a day-night game at the SCG does not guarantee victory, but it is the next best thing - Taylor believed it a 20- to 30-run advantage - for the Sydney pitch tends to keep low as the match wears on. For a final series bearing first prize money of $32,000, therefore, Damien Martyn's smile was understandable when he called correctly. Greg Blewett (19) carried on from where he left off from Thursday's century against England, whipping Craig McDermott's first ball to the square leg fence. A leg glance and two more beautifully struck boundaries through mid-wicket by Blewett from Damien Fleming took the A team to 0-21 in two overs. Having conceded 14 runs from his opening over, Fleming (0-38) proceeded to bind up the A batsmen so cleverly that he surrendered just seven runs in his next six overs. McDermott (4-25) was more economical than his Test new-ball partner, and despite the dry, unresponsive strip, bared steel often enough to claim the wickets of the top-order men, Blewett, Michael Bevan (73) and Justin Langer (7). McDermott nicked out Blewett's middle stump and yorked Langer's off stump, but Hayden (50 from 92 balls) dug in deep as Bevan swept into stride. On top of his World Series century against England, Bevan's handsome 86-ball innings of 73 did much to restore credibility and confidence for the fourth Test in Adelaide on January 26. Bevan rammed away fine drives and glides through mid-wicket for eight boundaries before McDermott removed his middle stump. Michael Slater (92) bounced away as if seeking the runs in 40 overs, later set his mind to batting through the innings and shared a 67-run stand with David Boon (36). (Thanks : Phil Wilkins, Sydney Morning Herald) Contributed by David.Mar (mar@Physics.su.OZ.AU) ====> more Wicketkeeper Ian Healy hit a boundary from the last ball to give Australia a five-wicket victory over Australia A in a nail-biting finish to the first World Series Cup one-day final on Sunday. With the scores level at 209, Healy sliced the delivery, a full toss from Australia A paceman Greg Rowell, over the slips. Chas- ing the second eleven team`s 209 for eight, Australia finished on 213 for five. Earlier, Michael Bevan and Matthew Hayden hit half-centuries for Australia A after captain Damien Martyn had won the toss. Bevan`s 73 came from 86 balls with eight fours, to follow his scintillating century in Thursday`s win over England. Hayden`s composed 50 off 92 balls, which included seven fours, was a wel- come return to form. Test spearhead Craig McDermott took four for 25 from his 10 overs, clean-bowling his first three victims. Test paceman Glenn McGrath and Australia A opener Matthew Hayden were summoned by match referee John Reid of New Zealand after the match over an incident in the afternoon when they clashed after Hayden hit a single off McGrath. The second final is in Melbourne on Tuesday. Contributed by vasa (Vasanthan.Dasan@Central.Sun.COM)