Queensland secured a seven-wicket win over Tasmania on Saturday in an extraordinary record-laden contest at North Sydney Oval, with the openers for both teams recording centuries in a match where 800 runs were scored for the loss of only four wickets.
Not even Ben Dunk’s remarkable innings of 229 not out – the first double century in Australian domestic limited-overs cricket – was enough to get Tasmania over the line.
Queensland’s tally of 3-402 is easily the highest run chase achieved in the competition’s 46-year history, beating NSW’s 352 set in 2012.
Queensland openers Usman Khawaja and Chris Hartley posted 280 to set a new domestic partnership record, breaking the previous mark set just hours earlier by their Tasmanian counterparts.
Khawaja brought up his century off just 70 balls, and was eventually out for 166 off 110, while Hartley was run out for 142, compiled from 120 deliveries.
Joe Burns (48 not out) coolly steered Queensland home, with the win assuring the Bulls a place in next weekend’s finals series.
Earlier in the day, Dunk and fellow opener Tim Paine (125) put on 277 for the first wicket, casting aside the competition record (263) for any wicket set by Ricky Ponting and Michael Dighton for Tasmania in 2007.
Dunk’s score comfortably eclipsed the previous record individual score of 197 set by NSW opener David Warner at the same venue last season.
The 27-year-old Queensland-born Dunk struck a remarkable 13 sixes in his 157-ball innings. He brought up his second domestic one-day ton off 93 balls, and Paine soon followed with his 100 coming off a more measured 118 deliveries.
“To get a double hundred is extremely pleasing but to lose leaves a very sour taste,” Dunk said.
“All the records are great but, at the moment, I’m just disappointed that we are probably out of the tournament, when I think we are a better team than that. Probably when I get a chance to reflect, this will all sink in.
“I struggled in the first four games,” said Dunk, who scored just 40 runs in his previous four innings.
“But I had a really good conversation with my batting coach Dan Marsh, and took things back to a simple level. I worked really hard in the nets these past few days, and it was great that paid off. There have been other stages in my career where I would have been dropped so it was great they gave the opportunity to keep playing.”
The early part of the Tasmanian innings gave no sign of the fireworks to follow with the Tigers scoring just 78 off their opening 20 overs, before cleverly lifting the pace.
The Queenslanders missed a host of run-out opportunities, while Dunk was dropped on 132 by Peter George off his own bowling.
The Bulls also claimed two catches from free hits as the Queensland bowling became ragged in the latter stages.
Australian one-day captain George Bailey, lining up for Tasmania for the first time this season, enjoyed a late cameo of 33 not out from 19 balls.
One landmark that narrowly survived the day was Queensland’s record total of 4-405 set in 2004.
