NSW beat WA by 27 runs in Cup opener

16 Sep 2012, 10:05 pm   -   Source: AAP

The domestic cricket season is off to its earliest ever start and NSW have beaten WA by 27 runs in a one-day cup match in Perth.

The best and worst of Mitchell Johnson were on display as New South Wales notched a comfortable victory in their season-opening domestic one-day match against Western Australia at the WACA Ground.

Johnson bowled the Warriors into a strong position early, but then undid that good work late in the innings as fellow national hopeful Steven Smith punished the left-arm quick to start his own season with a match-winning performance with the bat.

Smith, who has played five Tests and 32 one-day internationals, blasted 99 not out from 88 balls as the Blues piled on 115 in the last 10 overs to make 5-281 after a slow start in the earliest ever start to a domestic season.

He had great support from Moises Henriques, who made 78 from 45 balls and hit five sixes.

The Warriors were never in the hunt in the chase and were dismissed for 254 with two balls remaining to lose by 27 runs despite a dashing 78 by youngster Mitchell Marsh.

Former Test paceman Doug Bollinger had three catches dropped off his bowling, but claimed 4-67 from 13 overs.

Opener Scott Henry, on his limited overs debut for the Blues, was solid early with 66, but it was Smith and Henriques who torched the Warriors late.

The pair put on a century partnership in just 66 balls on their way to a 126-run stand.

Johnson, the 2009 ICC Cricketer of the Year, was making a belated one-day debut for WA in his fifth season for his adopted state.

The 47-Test veteran started superbly with the ball despite his first delivery being a wide.

He bounced back to claim the wicket of Test captain Michael Clarke for just one and had the superb figures of 1-12 after seven overs.

Conditions were similar to those when he stunned England in the Ashes Test at the same venue in December 2010, claiming 4-7 in a match-turning spell on his way to figures of 6-38.

However, his last few overs were more akin to the rest of his bowling in that series, being carted for 50 from his last four overs to finish with 2-68 from 12 overs.

He went for 11, 12, 13 and 14 in those final four overs, with Henriques twice pulling him over square leg for six.

Johnson hasn't played Test cricket since November last year, although he was part of the recent one-day international series against Pakistan.

Clarke paid tribute to the hitting of Smith and Henriques and conceded the latter wasn't even meant to be playing.

"Moises wasn't in our first 11, but Peter Nevill got crook last night," he said.

"He made a very clear point that he wanted to be part of the team by the way he played.

"Smithy has been working hard, he's got plenty of talent and it was a good way to start the season - he played an outstanding innings today."

Warriors captain Marcus North lamented his team's poor last 15 overs with the ball, conceding 153 runs.

"The first 35 overs were outstanding," he said.

"The last 15 overs didn't go to plan, that put us above par and it cost us in the end.

"They (Smith and Henriques) certainly punished every ball we didn't get right."

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