Opinion
Week 3 of Sheffield Shield cricket has come and gone and all three matches were making headlines for all different reasons, so here is my recap.
South Australia versus Victoria was a run-fest with both sides using the Glenelg pitch to their advantage, especially Will Pucovski and Marcus Harris by breaking the 30-year-old record set by the Waugh brothers in the highest opening partnership of 486.
Both batsmen looked surreal but there are some questions marks on South Australia’s bowling attacking as they were missing the experience to bowl on a flat deck. Victoria spinner Jon Holland showed his class with six wickets on a Day 4 flat track with Travis Head helping the Redbacks to a draw with a timely 151, which will keep the selectors interested in him for the upcoming Test series.
The match was let down by the pitch but it is great to see that young gun Pucovski and Harris went big. This is important for the selectors to decide who they want to open with David Warner for the first Test.
(Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Also, South Australia will be pleased they fought back for the draw and maybe found someone for the future in Liam Scott, who made 61 in the second innings. Plus Henry Hunt made 80 so overall it was not a bad game for the neutral.
Western Australia versus Tasmania was another dull draw for the viewers. Both sides will be flat after this match as Tassie looked like kingmakers after their first innings of 432 with Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott making 83 and 90 in the first innings.
Shaun Marsh kept himself in contention for a Test spot with 115 in their first innings of 302. Then WA showed why they are contenders for the Shield by putting on 436 in the second innings, which included a timely hundred for Cameron Bancroft. Shaun Marsh backed up his hundred with 88.
D’Arcy Short proved his red-ball worth with 57 as it looked like WA had a chance to win. But Tassie survived as Matthew Wade got much needed batting practice with 57.
This match will be one to forget for the bowlers. Lance Morris and Nathan Ellis were the only ones to take more than three wickets on a lifeless deck. Overall this match won’t be talked about but it did give life to some batsmen who might be forgotten by the selectors.
New South Wales held on to win, but only just. Out of all three games, this was the best game as it had everything. Queensland’s first innings was headlined by Marnus Labuschagne’s hundred but also Jimmy Peirson’s 66, which is key to his development.
On the New South Wales bowling, Mitchell Starc took four wickets and this helps his form for the upcoming Test series. But one player who could be a favourite to be the second spinner for Australia is Mitch Swepson. He took ten wickets in the match and was key to Queensland having a first-innings lead.
One player that turned back the clock was Trent Copeland with a five-for, which helped NSW only need 206 for victory. With the help of Daniel Solway making 52, Daniel Hughes making 48 and Sean Abbott making 18, NSW pushed over the line by one wicket as Swepson and co were pushing close to the win and the tie.
But it was a great advertisement for Shield cricket and these are the matches we need in the future.
All three matches had their moments but only one match had a result, which is a concern. Bring on Week 4.
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