Marnus’ horror over! | 01:27
Tim Miller from Fox SportsSeptember 20th, 2026 2:32 pm
Queensland and Marnus Labuschagne were left to rue the lack of a fifth bowler as the captain’s disastrous final over saw debutant Liam Blackford secure a stunning One-Day Cup win for Victoria.
In both teams’ first match of the season, the Bulls’ 7/335, which saw a whopping 137 runs added in the final ten overs, looked set to be more than enough when the Vics crashed to 4/14 in reply.
But captain Will Sutherland turned the match with a swashbuckling century, teaming up with first-game wicketkeeper-batter Liam Blackford for a 152-run partnership to bring the visitors back into the contest.
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Even after Sutherland was dismissed for 100, Blackford continued the onslaught, bringing up a whirlwind century off just 91 balls with ten fours and four sixes.
A 16-run penultimate over off Oli Patterson left the 22-year old, who was only playing with regular gloveman Sam Harper on Australia A duty in India, needing 10 for victory in the final over.
Dramatically, it would be bowled by Labuschagne, who with the Bulls opting not to select a frontline all-rounder had already bowled nine overs.
A trio of Blackford boundaries duly secured a stunning triumph, with Victorian <a href="https://cricket.international/top-3-india-women-<a href="https://cricket.international/top-3-sri-lanka-women-players-to-watch-out-against-pakistan/” title=”Top 3: Sri Lanka Women Players to Watch Out Against Pakistan”>players-to-watch-out-against-bangladesh/” title=”Top 3: India Women Players to Watch Out Against Bangladesh”>players celebrating wildly in the dugout, while Blackford and partner Harry Hoekstra embraced mid-pitch.
The young gun’s knock is just the sixth One-Day Cup debut ton, and one of only two in the last 30 years.
“Young Liam Blackford – I don’t think there’s any doubt who the man of the match is,” commentator Justin Stearns said.
“Pretty surreal. It definitely hasn’t sunk in,” Blackford, who finished unbeaten on 149 from 113 balls, told CODE Sports.
“We were in a fair bit of trouble and I was trying to get settled.
“Obviously being my first game I was very nervous. It was great to get the win. I don’t really believe it just yet.”
Blackford emerged as a state contender after a dominant end to last year’s Victorian Premier Cricket season for Geelong and the Vics’ 2nd XI.
He nearly lost an arm after the discovery of a blood clot in 2023 required three surgeries, including a rib removal.
The last-over disaster continues Labuschagne’s torrid 2026, having been dropped from Australia’s ODI squad for their tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa and facing uncertainty over his spot in the Test team for three matches against the Proteas in October and November.
To make matters worse, his 42 with the bat ended when Victorian Matt Short took a stunning one-handed return catch.
Victoria stun Bulls in epic chase | 00:50
The Vics were missing frontline players Harper, captain Peter Handscomb, Campbell Kellaway and Todd Murphy with Australia A.
Source: www.foxsports.com.au
