South Australian captain Darren Lehmann has mastered desperately hot conditions as well as a determined attack to lead his team to a vital win over New South Wales in the teams' ING Cup match at Coffs Harbour today.

In temperatures approaching 40 degrees, Lehmann maintained his push for a recall to the national team with a sublime innings of 101 off only 95 balls as the Redbacks stormed to an emphatic 114-run win.

After losing the toss and being forced to bat first on a pitch that encouraged the new ball bowlers, the South Australians slumped to 2/18. But Lehmann led the revival in sultry conditions, easing himself in against Nathan Bracken (2/30) and Stuart Clark (1/19) before assuming near-complete control with typical aggression.

He received fine support from Ben Johnson (51) and David Fitzgerald (33) in the top half of the order, setting the platform from which a late assault by all-rounder Mike Smith (30*) piloted the Redbacks to a total of 258.

Spinners Stuart MacGill (5/53) and Mark Higgs (2/51) shared seven wickets between them.

Before flying to Melbourne to answer a SOS from the Australian team, fast bowler Jason Gillespie (3/31) then inspired a rout of the home team's top order.

The Blues crashed to 5/41 and were later 9/91 before a last wicket partnership of 53 between Graeme Rummans (73*) and Bracken (9) added at least a small degree of respectability back to the scoreboard.

Lehmann, who suffered from dehydration late in his innings and rested in the dressing room for much of the New South Wales reply, returned to the field to see the Blues dismissed for 144 and hand over a prized bonus point.

He was later named Man of the Match for the fourth time in just seven matches this summer.

The Redbacks now join New South Wales and Queensland at the head of the ING Cup table on 18 points, though the Bulls have a game in hand and will be hoping to build on their points tally when they meet bottom-placed Tasmania in Hobart tomorrow.

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