Waugh shrugs off Test axing to help NSW to one-day win

ADELAIDE, Nov 2 AAP - Mark Waugh today shrugged off the disappointment of his Test axing to top-score for New South Wales with a typically free-flowing innings and be named man of the match in a three-wicket ING Cup victory over South Australia at Adelaide Oval.

In reply to SA's 8-246 from its 50 overs, the Blues scored 7-248 from 49.2 overs, with Waugh, who opened the innings, scoring 76 from 87 balls, including 10 boundaries, in his first outing since he announced his retirement from international cricket after being left out of the Australian Test side on Monday.

"It was just the usual," a laidback Waugh told reporters after the game, when asked if he felt under any less pressure batting in the wake of his international retirement.

"I played a game, I always enjoy playing for New South Wales in one-dayers. They're good fun.

"We won the game and I made a few runs, so it's always good fun when that happens."

Waugh's innings was very nearly over before he faced a ball, when he slipped while attempting to return to his crease after starting a second run, and was almost run out, when fellow opener Corey Richards glanced the opening ball of the match to fine leg.

The third umpire ruled him not out after television replays showed he just managed to dive back and just put his bat over the crease.

His innings was laced with trademark elegant boundaries off his pads and through the covers, but ended in a soft fashion, backing away to the legside and attempting a cross-bat slog off Jason Gillespie, which only resulted in a simple catch for Ben Johnson at mid-on.

But Waugh said he was unconcerned about failing to reach a century.

"Not really. It would have been nice to get 100, but the main thing is we won and I hit the ball pretty well," he said.

The other major contributors with the bat for NSW were exciting youngster Michael Clarke, who scored a quickfire 48 from 43 balls, Steve Waugh, who made 47 and Michael Bevan, who scored 46.

The Blues looked like cruising to victory at 4-237 in the 47th over, but had to endure some nervous final overs after losing three wickets in the space of eight balls without scoring to slump to 7-237 after 48 overs, before Simon Katich (16 not out) and Stuart MacGill (four not out) steered NSW home.

Earlier, Mark Waugh's replacement in the Australian team, SA skipper Darren Lehmann, was just as impressive, top-scoring with 83 from 99 balls for the Redbacks, eventually being dismissed in the final over of SA's innings caught in the deep.

Former New South Welshman Mark Higgs was SA's next best batsman with 45 from 38 balls.

Nathan Bracken finished with the best bowling figures for the Blues with 3-49, while Glenn McGrath was in typically economical form with 1-28 from 10 overs.

Ex-Victorian swing bowler Damien Fleming took 2-41 in his first match for SA, after overcoming a shoulder injury which kept him out of the opening matches of the season.

Test paceman Jason Gillespie took 1-36 from 10 overs, but more importantly came through the match untroubled after missing Australia's past two Tests with a calf strain.

"Dizzy looked good," Lehmann said of Gillespie.

"He bowled one poor over, but apart from that he was excellent and came through with flying colours and Fleming did the job we know he can do, get us a wicket with the new ball, which is what we're after."

Lehmann said he was also happy to get a decent score in his last innings before the opening Ashes Test, starting on Thursday at the Gabba.