Blues hit the ground running

New South Wales has started its Pura Cup season in stunning fashion, thrashing Western Australia by 275 runs early on the fourth day's play at the WACA Ground.

Chasing an unlikely 469 runs for victory, the Warriors were humbled for 193 in their second innings after making just 99 in their first dig.

Luke Pomersbach was the only batsman to put up a fight, smashing 14 fours and three sixes on the way to an unbeaten 102 from just 111 balls.

Phil Jaques blasted a sparkling 167 on day three as the Blues took a stranglehold on the contest, declaring their second innings at 3-300 mindful of the showers forecast for the final day.

It was a majestic knock from Jaques, who spent 311 minutes at the crease and crunched 25 boundaries to give his chances of a Test recall a massive boost.

Any chance of WA even getting close to the victory target was shattered late on day three when Doug Bollinger (5-38) claimed the second hat-trick of his career to destroy the home side's middle order.

Bollinger claimed the wickets of Shaun Marsh (34), David Bandy (no score) and Luke Ronchi (no score) to achieve the feat, and was unlucky not to snare four wickets in four balls after Dominic Thornely dropped Aaron Heal at second slip.

Bollinger's onslaught left the Warriors perilously placed at 7-139 at the start of day four, still 330 runs short of the victory target with Pomersbach and Brett Dorey at the crease.

It didn't take long for the Blues to wrap up the contest. Bollinger continued to terrorise the batsmen with a number of short-pitched balls, with Dorey in particular struggling to defend against the left-arm paceman.

But it was spinner Beau Casson who eventually brought Dorey undone, the tail-ender edging the ball onto his pads and straight to Ed Cowan at short leg.

Bollinger leapt high into the air and pumped his fist after claiming his fifth wicket of the innings - that of Steve Magoffin for four - as WA crashed to 9-167, with Pomersbach still requiring 24 more runs to reach triple figures.

With the injured Ben Edmondson (right hamstring) at the other end, Pomersbach left nothing to chance, smashing Casson for a six and a four in consecutive balls to bring up his ton, with Edmondson bowled by Thornely next ball to end the match an hour before lunch.

Blues paceman Mark Cameron was named man of the match after claiming 5-33 in the Warriors' first innings.

NSW first innings 267

WA first innings 99

NSW second innings
Jaques c Bandy b Heal 167
Cowan c Heal b Magoffin 56
Forrest c Marsh b Heal 64
Smith not out 7
Thornely not out 4
Extras: 2 (nb 2, w 2)
Total: 300 declared (3 wickets; 89 overs)

FoW: 1-94, 2-288, 3-293

Bowling:
Magoffin 25 - 4 - 94 - 1 (1nb)
Dorey 21 - 10 - 35 - 0 (1wd)
Edmondson 1.4 - 0 - 10 - 0
Pomersbach 1.2 - 0 - 1 - 0
Heal 29 - 1 - 134 - 2
Voges 11 - 0 - 26 - 0

WA second innings
Rogers lbw Lambert 17
Langer c Jaques b Bollinger 1
Marsh lbw Bollinger 34
Voges c Smith b Lambert 0
Pomersbach not out 102
Bandy c Nicholson b Bollinger 0
Ronchi c Smith b Bollinger 0
Heal c Lambert