New South Wales and Tasmania both secured dramatic, early outright wins despite the weather interrupting their matches earlier in the week, as Queensland and South Australia disintegrated in their second innings.
Victoria also picked up a win in the west, as they moved ahead of their hosts to top of the ladder in this year’s competition.
New South Wales (447) versus Queensland (268 and 99)
NSW win by an innings and 80 runs
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Despite the weather that marred earlier days in this match, New South Wales pulled off a dramatic victory over Queensland at the SCG, with Sean Abbott starring with the ball.
New South Wales started the day looking to press the advantage, getting quick runs against a Queensland attack that had been ravaged by injury.
Kurtis Patterson (126) fell first, bowled by the sole remaining Bulls paceman James Hopes, followed by Moises Henriques (21), Peter Nevill (5) and Abbott, who fell to the spinners Cameron Brimblecombe and Cameron Boyce.
All this time Ryan Carters continued his lengthy, vigilant innings. It would need something special to remove him, and Boyce obliged with gusto. Pitching the ball way outside leg stump, he produced a miracle delivery that squared up Carters, clipping the top of off to dismiss the opener for 198, off a marathon 432 balls.
Chasing quick runs, the wickets of Steve O’Keefe (13) and Mitchell Starc (27) were both run out, leaving Doug Bollinger (0*) not out without facing and NSW all out for 447, with a lead of 179.
Hopes (3-114), Boyce (4-160) and Brimblecome (1-115) – in what was a baptism of fire on his first class debut – bowled an astonishing 133 of the 153 overs due to injuries to Ben Cutting and Luke Feldman. These injuries were crippling to Queensland and left them an uphill battle to save the match, however they would have expected to be able to see out the day for the draw.
However, the men from North of the border did not account for the form of Sean Abbott. In news that will hearten the cricket community who worried so for the mentality of this young man, Abbott bowled an astonishing second innings effort of 6-14 off seven overs.
Queensland’s batting order was ripped apart by Will Somerville (2-17), Starc (1-22), O’Keefe (1-14) and Abbott, as they were bowled out for a paltry 99, losing the match just after lunch by an innings and 78 runs.
Only four batsmen – Marnus Labuschagne (10), Joe Burns (27), Usman Khawaja (12) and Peter Forrest (14) – reached double figures, as the Queensland batsmen failed to match the temperament of their New South Wales counterparts. When Hopes fell for a four-ball duck, the writing as on the wall for the Bulls.
Plenty of contenders for man of the match here. Hopes was nothing short of exceptional in a uncharacteristically poor performance from the Bulls in recent times, top scoring for his side with 85, and performing exceptionally with the ball under difficult circumstances taking 3-114.
However, two performances stand out for the victors a lot more. Carters score of 198 runs off an incredible 432 balls proved that with patience, runs could be scored on this tough batting pitch. His runs set up the victory, but for me, Sean Abbott is most deserving of the award.
Even by coming out to play shows incredible mental fortitude, and bowling a bouncer first ball showed incredible guts. 2-58 in the first innings was a good return, but his incredible return of 6-14 at less than a run a ball was something else.
Tasmania (362 and 8-308) versus South Australia (302 and 45)
Tasmania win by 313 runs
Bellerive Oval, Hobart
South Australia lost this match with an extraordinary capitulation in their second batting innings, when they were bowled out by Tasmania for an incredible 45 runs in 38 and a half overs.
Earlier in the day, Tasmania looked to press their narrow first innings advantage with quick runs from overnight pair Ed Cowan (111*) and James Faulker (5*), building on their lead of 236 runs.
Faulker (32) fell first to Trent Lawford, and overnight centurion Cowan (158) departed soon after recording his 150, his second century of the match, falling to captain Johan Botha. The skipper then accounted for wicketkeeper Ben Dunk (40), who went at just under a run a ball for his score.
The run out of Xavier Doherty (1) triggered thoughts of a declaration, which soon followed leaving Jackson Bird (1*) and Ben Hilfenhaus (13*) undefeated at 8-308.
The South Australian bowlers struggled to stem the flow of runs, as Botha (3-46) went for over five runs per over, and Chadd Sayers (1-33), Gary Putland (1-69), Joe Mennie (1-77) and Lawford (1-65) failed to build on their first wickets.
Keeping the bowlers fresh obviously paid off for the Tigers, as one of the more incredible collapses followed from the Redbacks in Hobart.
A remarkable five South Australian batsman recorded ducks (Sam Raphael, Tom Cooper, Travis Head, Lawford and Putland) and only Callum Ferguson (11) reached double figures.
It was Hilfenhaus (5-11) who did the damage, recording a five for in his 14 overs, 11 of which were maidens, as he was virtually unplayable. Andrew Fekete (3-12) was also exceptional, with an economy of just over one per over and Bird (1-9) chipped in with a single wicket, including forcing the run out of Putland (0) to end the innings and the match.
After a difficult couple of weeks for the South Australia side, it might simply be the case that they were emotionally and physically drained going into the final day, and they were somewhat unfortunate that they came up against an inspired Hilfenhaus performance with the ball.
Hilfenhaus took 8-89 in the match (3-78 and 5-11), including a match winning five-for performance in the second innings, and should be a good shout for man of the match, but for me Ed Cowan, who scored 147 and 158, deserves the accolade.
Although Chris Rogers will almost certainly remain in the Test side despite his poor run of form, Cowan’s scores have come at a very opportune time, and he has arguably put himself in the reckoning for a look from the selectors if Rogers form doesn’t improve.
Western Australia (287 and 287) versus Victoria (350 and 3-341)
Victoria win by 117 runs
WACA, Perth
Victoria took the lead on the Shield ladder with a hard fought victory over the Warriors in the west. Despite a second century of the match for Adam Voges, Western Australia were always second favourites for the win on the day, and when Ashton Agar fell before tea, the tail capitulated to hand the Bushrangers the win, and the lead in the table.
Michael Klinger and Tom Beaton resumed for Western Australia with an uphill task to save the match ahead of them, the Warriors still 379 runs behind. And immediately that hill started to look a lot steeper, when Beaton (12) departed early lbw to Chris Tremain.
Klinger (32) then departed just after drinks, and he was swiftly followed by Shaun Marsh (11) and Sam Whiteman (6) before lunch, leaving the Warriors 5-111 and staring their first Shield defeat of the season in the face.
Voges and Agar (62) put together a 150 run partnership, but when Agar fell shortly before tea, after a number of lives, the writing really was on the wall.
Despite the heroics of Voges (139*) , the tail capitulated within an hour of tea, the 137 runs required in the final session just too much for WA. Nathan Rimmington (1), Jason Behrendorff (0), Simon Mackin (1) and Michael Hogan (4) were all dismissed cheaply as the Warriors entered the BBL break with a defeat.
The Victorian bowlers got the job done on the final day, with Daniel Christian (3-18) the pick as Tremain (2-54), Scott Boland (2-59), John Hastings (1-62), Glenn Maxwell (1-43) and Fawad Ahmed (1-38) all made contributions.
My man of the match was Voges in a losing effort. He batted remarkably well in both innings, recording scores of 101 and 139 not out, his second innings all the better for nearly rescuing a result for the home side.
Thanks for reading the reports for this round, Round 6 will begin after the BBL break in early February, with Western Australia hosting South Australia, Queensland playing Victoria at the Gabba, and New South Wales and Tasmania meeting in Hobart.
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