NSW batsman Usman Khawaja a happy Blue and finished with 121, his first one-day century

New South Wales v South Australia, Ryobi Cup, Sydney

New South Wales 6 for 317 (Khawaja 121, Maddinson 65, Edmondson 3-70) beat South Australia 8 for 314 (Klinger 103, Christian 85, O'Brien 52, Bollinger 3-59) by 3 runs

Usman Khawaja finished with 121, his first one-day century

Khawaja scored his maiden domestic one-day ton as the Blues captured a thrilling three-run Ryobi Cup win over the Redbacks at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.

Opening for the first time for the Blues, the 23-year-old played a mature innings, finishing with a superb 121 from just 106 balls with four sixes and 12 fours as the home side scored 6-317.

Skipper Michael Klinger (103 off 119) played the perfect anchor role while Dan Christian smashed 85 off just 40 balls with nine fours and six sixes.

Klinger's patient 103 set up South Australia's chase, which was given a monstrous boost by the in-form Christian, who enjoyed the small dimensions of the ground and slammed 85 from 40 balls, including six sixes. But in the end it wasn't enough, and New South Wales have jumped to the top of the Ryobi Cup table.

"I knew they were always in the game, at North Sydney you're never quite sure," Khawaja said.

"Christian's innings was special. When we got him out we got the momentum again and then they got a partnership again."

"Right at the end I thought, we're not going to win this game without a wicket or two, and luckily we got them out."

Axed Australian bowler Doug Bollinger fired up for clash against South Australia

NSW coach Matthew Mott says South Australia can expect a barrage from a fired-up Doug Bollinger in Sunday's one-day cup match at North Sydney Oval.

Mott believes Bollinger's axing from the Australian squad for next week's third Ashes Test will prove a boon for the Blues with the left-arm quick poised to take out his frustration on the Redbacks.

"Hopefully he'll be nice and fired up," Mott said.  "He'll be keen to prove a point I'm sure.

"If he starts bowling well for us then down the track he'll get another opportunity.

But Mott believes he loses nothing by bringing young left-hander Usman Khawaja and wicket-keeper Daniel Smith into the team as the pair's replacements.

"The guys coming in are quality players," he said.

"Usman Khawaja, a guy that we really want to see a lot more of, especially in the one-day format and Dan Smith gets a chance after some great runs in club cricket. Very excited with that."

The visit of South Australia will be NSW's first limited-overs match at North Sydney Oval this summer, and Mott said the competition's new split-innings format could alter his team's approach.

"The whole par score thing, we'll just have to evaluate on the day," he said.

"That's the beauty, I suppose, of the format. You've got the halftime break to see where it's at and re-evaluate what's acceptable or not."

The Redbacks go into the match having won their past two one-dayers against Tasmania and Victoria and another victory would put them level with the Blues in second position on the competition ladder.

TEAM:

NSW: (13-man squad, one to be omitted) Stuart Clark (capt), Doug Bollinger, Scott Coyte, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Daniel Smith, Phil Jaques, Brett Lee, Nicolas Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Stephen O'Keefe, Usman Khawaja, David Warner.

SA: (13-man squad, one to be omitted) Michael Klinger (capt), Aiden Blizzard, Cameron Borgas, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Ben Dougall, Ben Edmondson, Callum Ferguson, Peter George, Tim Lang, Tim Ludeman, Aaron O'Brien, Gary Putland.

Michael Kasprowicz confirms he will retire from cricket

IT is 18 years since I spoke to Michael Kasprowicz down a crackling phone line to North Sydney Oval, yet I swear I can still hear his trembling voice.

He was just 17. He sounded 15, maybe younger, as he whispered "Oh my God" in response to my big news.

Kasprowicz, that day 12th man for the Australian under-19 side, had been chosen by Queensland's cricket selectors to play a Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia in a few days. At the time he was still at school.

After hanging up the phone I said to a colleague that my major fear for Kasprowicz was that he was such a nice fellow I wondered how he would survive in the brutal battleground of first-class cricket.

SET to quit ... Michael Kasprowicz with wife Lindsay, daughter Greta and newborn Ed George last year.

Like the undemonstrative Graham McKenzie, Kapil Dev and Paul Reiffel, he gained wickets through the force of his bowling rather than his theatrics, with a basic honesty about the way he slapped his skills on the table.

His voice sounded croaky and weak. I thought he was shot for the tour. Somehow he got through to win Australia the last Test. It was some effort.

He was branded a subcontinent specialist but once, with a West Indies tour looming, hinted to the selectors, "I do like pina coladas and coconuts as well, not just curries."

He never made a West Indies tour but he achieved just about everything else the game could offer – a fitting reward for one of the most likable men in the game.