Match-winner Noffke pay tribute to senior teammates

Young Queensland paceman Ashley Noffke has paid tribute to his senior teammates after his final over heroics fired the Bulls to a dramatic three run win over South Australia in the sides' one-day match in Brisbane today.

After admitting to suffering nerves as he contemplated the prospect of denying his opponents the seven runs that they needed off the ultimate over of the contest to win, the twenty-three year old has revealed that the Bulls' on-field leaders played a crucial role in proceedings.

"It's good being around cricketers who have played for a long time. You have 'Stuie' (captain Stuart Law) and 'Haydos' (Matthew Hayden) walk up and they just say 'Back yourself and do it' and it palms off a bit of confidence ... so it's a pretty good situation to be in."

"We've got really experienced blokes in the team and they really help us out."

"Self-confidence is what we're all about and just trying to achieve what we practise week in and week out."

As for questions as to what was going through his mind as the game headed toward its tension-laced finish, Noffke declared that a no-nonsense strategy was behind his success.

"I just basically had one plan - and that was to hit the base of off stump. In the late overs, you're basically trying to bowl pretty full and not get hit over the boundary."

Bulls' captain Stuart Law returned his own compliments to Noffke, confidently predicting that the tall right armer shaped as a real star of the future.

"Fortunately for us, Ashley pulled out a great over. What he does is very simple. He's got a very simple, mechanical action; not a lot can go wrong with it."

"Personally, I'm pretty excited about seeing this young kid come through this year."

Meanwhile, South Australian captain Darren Lehmann expressed his delight at the form of the Redbacks' own young star of the match, debutant all-rounder Ryan Harris.

"It was a pretty good debut ... he's a good young player. He'll do well, I think."

"To come up against a side like Queensland and go and play that well stands him in very good stead."

While he was unable to produce a performance as significant as the one that netted Noffke his crucial closing analysis of 3/32, Harris enjoyed a day to remember with a brisk 24 with the bat, figures of 2/35 with the ball and an outstanding one-handed catch on the long off boundary to dismiss pinch-hitter Andy Bichel.