It’s getting tight now in all three games with two outrights very likely and a nail biter developing in Brisbane.
In Western Australia, Shaun Marsh was a stand out when the rest of his teammates crumbled around him twice, including Test players Voges and his brother Mitch Marsh. Marsh has scored 183 runs out of WA’s combined total of 573.
Chad Sayers was the chief destroyer with 4/57. South Australia should wrap up the victory in the first hour for a great start to their season
WA 271/9d and 302 SA 505/9d and 32/0
Tasmania’s top order have crumbled again and are at long odds to see out the day to force a draw. I cannot see them getting the win with their batting display so far. All the Victorian quicks have been good but so has Jackson Bird in a losing side.
I would think Victoria should wrap it up midway through the last session. The pitch in Melbourne has had more in it for the quicks than the other decks around the country so the runs from Harris get extra weight for me. In regards to Test selection, Bird just got the points over Siddle.
Victoria 415 and 204/9 Tasmania 255 and 19/3
At the Gabba, Queensland will need to replicate their first innings, with Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja needing to put on a big partnership and get us close by 6pm. We don’t want to be going into the last season needing 60 plus with five wickets in hand.
NSW will be favourites if that eventuates. Warner and Cowan were great in their big partnership. Warner, in particular, worked the ball off his hips and kept the ball on the ground for most of his innings. It is the sort of knock we need him to put together away from home in Test cricket to show he is just not a home track bully.
Queensland did their best to help NSW by bowling on their pads regularly. Combined with the benign pitch is was an easy day for NSW to bat through.
This game has had a bizarre groundhog day feel to it. Big partnerships during the day, quick wickets early in the evening followed by slog session of quick runs. Every night we have had a declaration with several overs to go which has led to at most one wicket taken so those declarations have not worked.
NSW are favourites right now as it stands.
NSW 327/7d and 367/7 Queensland 330/6d and 51/1
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