Hodge hundred earns Victoria win

Victoria 5 for 248 (Hodge 114*, McDonald 58, Tait 3-57) beat South Australia 9 for 247 (Borgas 90, Pattinson 3-34) by 5 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Brad Hodge finished unbeaten on 114 and confirmed Victoria's five-wicket win © Getty Images
Related Links Players/Officials: Cameron Borgas | Daniel Christian | Brad Hodge | Andrew McDonald | Darren Pattinson Matches: South Australia v Victoria at Adelaide Series/Tournaments: Ford Ranger Cup | Australian Domestic Season Teams: Australia | South Australia | Victoria

Brad Hodge scored his second century of the week at Adelaide Oval to drive Victoria to a comfortable five-wicket win over South Australia. After Cameron Borgas struck a career-best 90 and gave the Redbacks a defendable total, Hodge batted throughout the chase and finished unbeaten on 114 to add to the 195 he posted in the Sheffield Shield match.

South Australia didn't help themselves with three missed run-out opportunities against Hodge and his main supporter Andrew McDonald and the Bushrangers at one point threatened to gain the bonus point. Hodge and McDonald combined for a 125-run partnership that made victory a certainty after Shaun Tait gave the Redbacks hope with a couple of wickets.

Hodge, who turns 35 next month, has started the summer in peak form and scored at better than a run a ball, despite looking scratchy early in his innings. McDonald's 58 was fluent and it was a well-timed innings for him personally as the Australia ODI team in India consider flying in an extra player to cover for their injury problems.

The Victorians were on top since the early stages of the match after the stand-in captain David Hussey sent South Australia in on a good batting pitch. The Redbacks slipped to 3 for 46 in the 11th over and it was left to Borgas and Daniel Christian (45) to rebuild and give their bowlers something to defend.

Darren Pattinson was especially impressive with the ball and collected 3 for 34, finding some movement off the seam. The Bushrangers lost Damien Wright to a hamstring injury after he had bowled eight overs but it was the only negative in Victoria's opening match of the tournament, while South Australia have now slumped to three losses from three games.