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Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne were unable to lift Queensland out of the mire against New South Wales as 13 wickets fell on a challenging Gabba wicket.
The home side ended Day 2 of their Sheffield Shield clash at a shaky 5-105, just 112 runs clear of the Blues.
Khawaja, who top-scored in the first innings with 63, can count himself unlucky after falling to an outstanding leg-side catch from young NSW wicketkeeper Baxter Holt.
Labuschagne (44) looked set to be unbeaten at the close, only to also fall to a spectacular catch, this time from Tanveer Sangha at deep square leg, off the bowling of Harry Conway (2-11).
Marnus Labuschagne. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Jimmy Peirson (three) and Jack Wildermuth (zero) are the unbeaten batsmen with just the tail to come for the home side.
If the winless NSW do collect a win in Brisbane it will surely be down to stand-in captain Daniel Hughes.
With NSW missing up to nine first-choice players due to a combination of injury and Australia’s upcoming series against Sri Lanka, Hughes was named skipper in place of the absent Kurtis Patterson.
Hughes duly delivered a captain’s knock in the Blues’ first outing of the calendar year, carrying his bat throughout the innings for an unbeaten 86.
The opener’s 155-ball innings included 14 boundaries and is only the second half-century of the contest.
NSW appeared in free fall at 7-86, only for number nine Chris Tremain (37) to support Hughes in a match-high – and potentially match-winning – 66-run stand.
Michael Neser impressed ahead of the Pakistan tour with 3-68, but it was fellow quick Mark Steketee who took the bowling honours.
Steketee swept through the tail to add to his two wickets on Day 1 for a return of 5-46.
Queensland went into the contest in second with two wins from their five outings, while NSW are yet to get off the mark after three matches.
Meanwhile, struggling Test opener Marcus Harris has warmed up for next month’s tour of Pakistan with a confident half-century for Victoria, but it is South Australia who hold the upper hand at the midway point of the Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide.
Wickets in the final session saw Victoria throw away a bright start to their innings to be 5-151, still 215 runs in arrears of the home side’s 366.
Harris and young gun Will Pucovski continued their strong record as an opening pair, looking comfortable in putting on 110 on a flat Adelaide Oval pitch.
Left out of the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart following a disappointing summer, Harris didn’t offer any chances to the bowlers on his Shield return until miscuing a pull shot to be caught in the outfield for 58.
Pucovski’s 123-ball innings came to an end when he was caught behind off David Grant (2-30) for 54.
Will Pucovski (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
Peter Handscomb (12), Jonathan Merlo (zero) and Matt Short (six) soon followed as Victoria lost 4-15.
Earlier, Daniel Drew posted a century in just his second Shield outing but it was a nervous experience for the rookie.
Drew resumed on 96 only to be tied down for the best part of three quarters of an hour, before reaching three figures and ending on 130.
Ashes hero Scott Boland was at his frugal best, returning 4-61 from 28 overs for the Vics, though he was unable to add to his first-day wicket haul after SA recommenced on 5-280.
Twenty-one-year-old fast bowler Mitch Perry overshadowed the veteran quick by taking three of the five wickets to fall on Day 2 to end with 4-58.
Drew set about securing quick runs after reaching his ton before being caught behind off the bowling of Perry for 130 as the Redbacks lost 4-19 at the back end of their innings.
Day 1 was highlighted by a century for Jake Weatherald (122), who shared a 153-run stand in concert with Drew.
Without a win from four starts, SA can catapult themselves back into reckoning with victory in the first Shield match for the calendar year.
© AAP
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