In hot, trying conditions, South Australia has surged to the top of the Mercantile Mutual Cup table with a twenty-four run victory over New South Wales at the Adelaide Oval tonight. The win came as the Redbacks successfully defended a total of 7/293 against a Blues outfit that pursued the target gamely.

That the Redbacks set such an imposing target was due largely to a late innings partnership of ninety-eight in just seventy balls between Mick Miller (82*) and Graham Manou (28). All-rounder Miller faced just fifty-eight balls, smacking eight fours and two big sixes in his second one-day game for South Australia and just his fourth domestic one-dayer overall. The pair joined forces with just in excess of twelve overs remaining and with South Australia struggling at 6/189 after an excellent start had been wasted.

Despite the distraction of the impending birth of his first child, acting captain Greg Blewett (45) played well early for the Redbacks. Similarly, Chris Davies (35) and Ben Johnson (39) batted impressively. But all were dismissed when well into stride and none went on with the job to record the big individual score that their early strokeplay had promised.

The innings of Miller, in that context, was not only a gem but it was totally unexpected as well given his second eleven and first-class form with the bat this season. Had he departed quickly, then it is clear that South Australia would not have scored an invaluable ninety-one runs from its final ten overs.

The New South Wales bowling was fair until those late overs. Stuart MacGill (2/60 from ten overs) had bowled well until he took a late pasting; paceman Stuart Clark (2/48 from ten) was honest and the injury-plagued Simon Cook (1/34 from seven) - after being banished once his first two overs had been plundered for nineteen runs - returned to bowl accurately in the hottest part of the day with a tidy five over spell which came at a cost of only a further fifteen.

As the run chase began, the Blues indicated that they were in no mood to set about the job quietly. Brad Haddin (26), who had experienced the good fortune to sit in the rooms while his eleven other teammates sweltered in the forty degree heat of the afternoon, seemed to have an early flight to catch. He pounded four boundaries in an innings that lasted a mere quarter hour, before he unwisely tried to loft a Brett Swain (1/60 from ten overs) delivery over long on and instead offered Mark Harrity the chance to take a fine backpedalling catch.

Mark Higgs (42) also attacked well from his position at number three in the batting order before he became one of two Harrity (2/46 off ten) victims in a great night for the left arm quick. But it was the innings of Shane Lee (66) which had the home supporters most concerned. Lee and Graeme Rummans (28) added seventy-seven off sixty-four balls for the fifth wicket before the latter was called through for a fourth run from a shot to wide long on. Alas, Harrity dived near the rope to stop the boundary, found David Fitzgerald with the throw on the point of the thirty metre circle and the former Western Australian then found the base of the stumps with a direct hit that caught the Blues' youngster short by a metre.

Lee took the Redback attack apart with a snappy innings, including glorious sixes over cover and mid wicket. But, from his fifty-sixth delivery, he tried to hoick a Johnson (1/40 off five overs) over the Victor Richardson gates, only to top edge the ball to backward point. It was an untimely and unnecessary way to end as the New South Wales skipper had been doing it on the bit until then and had just struck Johnson for a six and four from the previous two deliveries.

When he departed, his side was maintaining perfect pace with the asking rate and needed a further sixty-six from fifty-six balls. Blewett (2/26 from six) elected to bowl the late overs from the Cathedral End himself and, when he nipped out Shawn Bradstreet (0) and last hope Michael Clarke (24), he had as good as sealed the fate of the match. By this stage, the required run rate was mounting - so much so that it bedevilled the remaining batsmen.

Harrity bowled beautifully for the Redbacks, fellow paceman Paul Wilson (1/42 from nine) performed his job well and Blewett - standing in for Darren Lehmann, away on international duty - continued his good run with the ball in the late overs.

Deservedly, it was Miller who attained Man of the Match honours in what should represent a big confidence boost for the remainder of the season - a season which continues for the Redbacks against Tasmania at the Devonport Oval next Sunday.

New South Wales, meanwhile, will entertain Western Australia in its next match (on 4 February at the North Sydney Oval) - a match which will virtually be an eight point game for the respective teams.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd