Won by Queensland - 12 runs to 1

Playing rightfield
Batting #3

------------------------------During the top of the fourth innings
------------------------------Sliding into second base, Brett "twisted" his ankle
------------------------------Came out of the game as a precautionary measure

Queensland - top first innings
Linger grounded out to ss (0-1 K)
Dutton reached on a fielding error by 3b, advanced to second on the error (2-2 KBKB)
Roneberg flied out to cf (1-2 BKS)
Utting grounded out to 2b (1-1 BF)
0 runs - 0 hits - 1 error - 1 LOB

Queensland - top third innings
Roneberg walked (3-1 BBBKB)
Utting reached on a fielder's choice to second base (1-1 BF)
----------Roneberg advanced to second on an error by ss, assist by 2b
Sutherland singled to right field (2-2 BKKBF)
----------Utting advanced to second
----------Roneberg advanced to third
Studeman flied out to rf, SF, RBI (0-1 F)
----------Utting advanced to third
----------Roneberg scored, unearned
Naughton singled to right field, RBI (0-0)
----------Sutherland advanced to second
----------Utting scored
Nilsson grounded out to 1b unassisted (1-2 SBS)
----------Naughton advanced to second
----------Sutherland advanced to third
----------Naughton advanced to third on the throw
----------Sutherland scored on the throw, unearned
Baker lined out to 1b (0-0)
3 runs - 2 hits - 1 error - 1 LOB

Queensland - top fourth innings
Linger grounded out to 3b (1-0 B)
Dutton grounded out to 1b unassisted (2-0 BB)
Roneberg singled to center field (0-0)..........
Roneberg stole second
----------Bylett pinch ran for Roneberg
----------NOTE - scroll to the bottom of the page for the Ankle Injury Report
Utting walked (3-2 KBBFFBFB)
Sutherland singled to left field (1-1 FB)
----------Utting advanced to second
----------Bylett advanced to third, out at home lf to c
0 runs - 2 hits - 0 errors - 2 LOB

Plate appearances - 3
At bats - 2
Hits - 1
----------single
Runs scored - 1
Walks - 1
Stolen base - 1
Outfield fly out - 1
Runners left in scoring position - 1
Batting Average - 0.500
Slugging Percentage - 0.500
On Base Percentage - 0.667

Plate appearances - 27
At bats - 21
Hits - 10
----------4 x singles
----------4 x doubles
----------2 x home runs
Runs batted in - 8
Runs scored - 6
Walks - 6
Strike outs - 2
Stolen base - 1
Infield ground outs - 3
Infield fly outs - 2
Outfield fly outs - 4
Runners left in scoring position - 5
Batting Average - 0.476
Slugging Percentage - 0.952
On Base Percentage - 0.593

Unfortunately, our Sydney based correspondent seems to be getting close to the mark when he suggested that this series "could get ugly"
From our distance, it does look very much like those traditionally gallant Australian Provincials have finally started to unravel under the pressure of trying to battle with dwindling resources against vastly superior opposition
You would have to suggest that their necessity to play four-plus games over three days had taken more toll on them than their talent-deep opponents from Australia's magnificent north-east

It is an unusual fact that Australian cricket has struggled to find a top class all-rounder for many years, yet Australian baseball seems to find occasional gems who can both pitch and hit, even though this is not considered a valuable thing as players reach higher levels and they are encouraged to specialise in one or the other
One really good example of this is young NSW prodigy Michael Lennox who is so talented at both disciplines that we were told he signed professionally with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher, but we now learn that he is projected as an everyday 'Bosox' player?
On the evidence of this 2008 Claxton Shield, Lennox would appear to be headed for a terrific career as a hitter, but we also think that the kid can pitch
Sure, he would have liked to have limited his six hits and three walks from four innings pitched as AP's starter today, but how many pitchers have struggled after seeing his team mates boot four errors over his first three innings?
The fact of this matter is that Lennox had to endure throwing many more pitches and facing many more batters than he should have had his team's defence done the job that is expected at this level of baseball
It is hard enough to pitch to a star-studded lineup like the Rams without gifting them extra opportunities
Enough said about this!

I'm not going to add any salt to the wounds of barely 18yo Luke Wilkins, whose statistics tell a sad enough tale from this game, but he might take some solace from the fact that he ran into a high quality opposition who have had loads of batting practice recently
In this same perspective, Victorian teenager Cable Hogben can feel pretty darn good about his late-inning outing today following his equally effective debut yesterday

Rising Philadelphia Phillies professional Drew Naylor didn't pass up the opportunity to strut his stuff again on the biggest Australian stage and he further enhanced his glowing reputation with another polished display
Not unlike his opposing starter today, Michael Lennox, Naylor had to work around two first inning errors in what was a fairly shaky start
But, in a very positive sign for an aspiring pitcher, Naylor got stronger as the game progressed and he really looked the goods!

By the time that Drew Naylor had pitched the stuffing out of the poor young Provincials, it wasn't too difficult for his established team mate John Veitch to add another brilliant short chapter to his AMLB scrapbook
In one of the more dominant displays of relief pitching, 'JV' mowed down the last six Provincial batters in sweet succession with just six pitches in the sixth inning and only a handful more in the seventh before the white flag was waved by the punch-drunk "green guys"

As we have noted before, the seven-inning "mercy rule" was invented for games like this - thank goodness!!

David Sutherland and Joel Naughton were the chief benefactors among the Queensland batters with a trifecta of hits in this game, while Andrew Utting and the increasingly noticeable Matt Studeman each gathered two knocks
In the best interests of space and time, I'm going to rattle off the Rams' RBI's in the same way that they report the goals in AFL football ... Baker 2, Bylett 2, Dutton 2, Naughton 1, Studeman 1, Utting 1, Nilsson 1... that's all folks!

Former San Diego Padres pro hitter Tom Vincent was almost on the verge of becoming a "forgotten man" of AMLB, even though he has been a really outstanding performer up until his 2007 campaign with the Provincials but, consider this, he is still batting a career .313 for 'AP' even after slumping to an uncharacteristic .167 last year - get the picture?
In our view it was good to see Tom back in business with his 2-3 in this game, while Day, Yates and Brooks were the only other Aussie Provincials to put the ball in play against the might of the Queensland pitching in this game

Well, um... it would seem from this distance, and via our increasingly disinterested correspondent from Sydney, that the white flag has been waved in this series, even though the admirable spirit of the Australian Provincials coaching staff will not allow the proverbial towel to be thrown into the ring
At the time of writing we already know the result of the last game but, even if we hadn't, we would still be betting pretty heavily on a Queensland blowout!