In that sense, there was nothing to quite match the fuss this summer. But the 2000-01 season did not prove substantially less eventful - at least not as far as developments on the field of play were concerned.

For the first time in recent memory, as many as six batsmen (Simon Katich, Jamie Cox, Greg Blewett, Jimmy Maher, Brad Hodge and Jason Arnberger) availed themselves of the opportunity provided by the Pura Cup to cross the 1,000 first-class run barrier for the season. It had been seven years since as many players had scored so heavily.

But that was not to completely discount the impact of the bowlers, either. Joe Dawes, in particular, enjoyed a memorable season, repaying the faith that Queensland selectors had continued to invest in him after many years on the fringe of the state team. In a season in which bat tended to dominate ball as a rule, the impact of Dawes and fellow Bulls' pacemen, Adam Dale and Andy Bichel, was crucial. They were the three leading wicket-takers of the Pura Cup season and it was accordingly no accident that their team led the table for most of the summer as well.

The Pura Cup pacesetters for much of the last seven years, the Queenslanders seized their fourth domestic first-class crown when they staved off a determined challenge from Victoria in late March in the competition's concluding match. Hampered by the loss of Matthew Hayden, Bichel and Michael Kasprowicz to international commitments and injury for long periods, the Bulls didn't look quite as sharp at times this season as in previous years. But they have a wonderful winning know-how and relied it on again to produce the right results at exactly the right times.

Victoria also maintained its impressive recent record, not only by finishing as runner-up for the second successive year but also by pushing the Queenslanders close to the brink of defeat in a Final that consistently engaged the emotions. While it provided little comfort to them, the Victorians left the Gabba in the knowledge that one hotly disputed decision - involving a possible slips catch - might, in the end, have proved the difference between defeat and their first first-class crown in ten years. It was that close.

Top Run Scorers Player Runs Avge Team GS Blewett 1162 68.35 SOA SM Katich 1145 71.56 WA J Cox 1070 66.87 TAS BJ Hodge 973 54.05 VIC JP Maher 946 59.12 QLD

Top Wicket Takers Player Wkts Avge Team JH Dawes 49 20.46 QLD AC Dale 46 23.39 QLD AJ Bichel 40 21.80 QLD J Angel 37 23.43 WA MWH Inness 33 27.57 VIC

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