Hughes and Ferguson put South Australia on top

Centuries to Callum Ferguson and Phillip Hughes have South Australia in control of their Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria at the MCG.

But the Bushrangers, who trailed by 225 on the first innings, have shown more fight early in their second to be 0-78 at stumps on Saturday’s second day, still 147 behind.

Aaron Finch, a star in the game’s shorter forms who had struggled in his two previous Shield games this season, was unbeaten on 39, with Rob Quiney on 31.

The pair were untroubled, with their unbroken stand the Bushrangers’ biggest of the match, after they were skittled for just 118 in the first innings on Friday.

Hughes, looking to revive his stop-start Test career, helped SA capitalise on that strong start by notching his second century in three Shield games.

He was dismissed for 103 shortly before lunch on Saturday, after a 98-run fourth-wicket stand with Ferguson.

Ferguson, playing just his second Shield game of the season, showed sparkling form, with 12 fours and one six in his 110, bringing up his ton with three boundaries in five balls off seamer Clint McKay.

He received useful lower-order support from Kane Richardson (25) and Trent Lawford (15), with the Bushrangers helping out Lawford by giving him two lives.

That helped Ferguson reach his century and SA to make 343 in their first innings.

Paceman Scott Boland (4-62) was the pick of the Bushrangers’ bowlers, while legspinner Fawad Ahmed (3-47) dismissed Hughes and claimed two of the last three wickets.