MacGill, Langer steal show as Blues steal win

One-day international aspirants Stuart MacGill and Justin Langer pressed their claims for international limited-overs recalls today as ING Cup Final aspirant New South Wales defeated Western Australia by five wickets here in Sydney.

As Australia was stumbling toward third position on the VB Series table on the other side of the country, this match was acting as a barometer of the form of at least two men who could be part of a revamp in the lead-up to next year's World Cup.

Test opener Langer (107) was the first to showcase his talents, crafting a magical hundred to help Western Australia create the formidable total of 8/259 after he had won the toss. The 31-year-old used his willow with intent, hitting with power to plunder a welter of runs from the New South Wales bowling attack.

Langer's timing was exquisite - and frequently he needed to do no more than stand his ground at the crease and watch as balls disappeared to the ground's various boundaries. Not even a painful blow on the right hand - incurred after he was struck by a nasty bouncer from Shawn Bradstreet (0/53) - slowed his progress too greatly.

The left hander did receive one lucky break - when, with his opposite number's score at 45, New South Wales captain Shane Lee dropped a regulation chance and presented Langer with the chance to take over from Tom Moody as Western Australia's highest run scorer at domestic one-day level.

In front of national selector David Boon, MacGill (5/50) also underscored his potential worth to his country if it should ever sight the need for another top-class leg spinner in the shortened form of the game. The 31-year-old produced his third five-wicket haul for the season and, having claimed 5/48 in the Blues' last-start loss to South Australia at Coffs Harbour, also etched his name in the record books as the only man in the competition's history to claim such hauls back-to-back.

In doing so, it was MacGill who engineered a way back into the match for New South Wales after a brilliant opening partnership of 106 in brisk time between Langer and Scott Meuleman (47) had threatened to take matters completely in the opposite direction.

With Mike Hussey (63), that pair exerted most of the control over the Warriors' march to their impressive total. But it was a score that would have swelled much further if the leg spinner had not claimed Meuleman's wicket, as well as those of Ryan Campbell (2), Simon Katich (6), Rob Baker (0) and Bradley Hogg (1) in swift succession in the middle stages of the innings.

"He is a quality one-day bowler and his stats show that. He has taken 60 wickets (at interstate one-day level) now ... he is a big wicket taker, particularly out here when the wicket is dry," said Lee in the midst of a glowing tribute to his vice-captain.

The importance of MacGill's contribution was further emphasised when Michael Clarke (101*), Brad Haddin (61), Lee (45) and Corey Richards (33*) all made light work of the task of batting to guide New South Wales past the visitors' total with a delivery to spare.

Clarke's display was particularly impressive, though he was quick to pay tribute to others around him.

"In the end I was the one who made the hundred ... but don't forget how many runs 'Shano' (Lee) got, the help he gave me and the support he gave me," said Clarke.

"I think - mentally - he really kept me going and kept me out there.

"I was mistiming a lot of balls and struggling to get off strike and he was the one telling me to keep going. He was unreal; he was a great captain out there."

The New South Welshmen consistently needed to score at a rate above six runs per over during the closing half of their chase - and even required 70 runs as they began their final ten overs - but measured their pursuit perfectly.

Given that the result allowed them to join both South Australia and Western Australia on 22 points on the competition table - behind only Queensland, on 27 - it could prove one of their most crucial victories of the summer.