Queensland Bulls beat Cricket Australia XI in Matador Cup opener

Queensland was made to work hard to get the Matador Cup spoils against the determined Cricket Australia XI (5-274) on Saturday in a promising sign for the future of Australian cricket.

The Bulls were strongly challenged during the domestic one-day clash and the result looked far from certain when they were 5-200 and the CA XI side had their tails up.

Queenslander Jason Floros, making his captaincy debut, got the Bulls over the line at Allan Border Field with an unbeaten 68 (58 balls) which was aided when a simple catch was dropped on the boundary.

Floros, a surprise choice as captain, was the cool head the Bulls needed at the end to beat a CA XI side which only had one win last summer in its first Matador Cup season.

There were still plenty of nice signs for the Bulls, with strapping opener Matt Renshaw showing he wasn’t just a one-trick pony.

Renshaw had a fine Sheffield Shield summer last season and on Saturday hit 88 (109 balls) in his debut in coloured clothes for Queensland.

He was out off the bowling of Arjun Nair, the young mystery spinner from NSW who has worked with Muttiah Muralidaran in the off-season.

Dumped Test batsman Joe Burns made 42 off 35 balls and looked in decent touch, before dancing down the pitch and being stumped off the bowling of CA XI captain Will Bosisto.

Earlier, CA XI allrounder James Bazley pumped his fists in the air when he got his Brisbane housemate Marnus Labuschagne (21) caught behind.

The CA XI look like they will take some scalps in the Matador Cup this season, recovering impressively after being 1-0 after only four balls of the game.

Up-and-coming NSW batsman Ryan Gibson, making his domestic one-day debut, hit a mature 106 off 130 balls and was named man of the match in a losing side.

Bosisto (86 off 114) was in sparkling touch until he became the third wicket for Queensland’s former Test quick Peter George (3-55 off 10 overs).

Diminutive Victorian keeper-batsman Sam Harper hit an entertaining 41 (26 balls) before he tried to belt one out of the ground and only succeeded in smashing it onto his stumps.

Queensland quick Luke Feldman (2-43) toiled well but Ben Cutting (0-62) didn’t have the start to the season he would have been craving.

# Cairns is set to host to a three-day tour game between Pakistan and a CA XI in the lead-up to December’s historic day-night Gabba Test.

It is understood the game would be played on December 8-10, as a warm-up for Pakistan ahead of the Gabba pink ball Test which starts on December 15.

Originally published as Bulls win but kids give them a fright