Marcus Harris has cracked a confident unbeaten half-century before next month’s Test series against Pakistan to set Victoria up for a strong first innings total in their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.
Harris ended Day 2 unbeaten on 88 to help the Vics to 1-172 in reply to Queensland’s 349.
Harris hit nine boundaries and one six in his 197-ball knock and shared a 165-run stand with captain Peter Handscomb.
The 29-year-old Harris was dropped for last month’s fifth Ashes Test but retained his position in Australia’s squad for the touring squad for Pakistan.
(Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Over the past week Harris has hit a domestic one-day cup century, in addition to a half-century in the Sheffield Shield.
Handscomb also continued his good form in posting an unbeaten 74 to follow up his match-saving century in Adelaide last weekend.
The pair’s run spree in in Melbourne allowed Victoria to overcome the early loss of Travis Dean (four) who came into the side for Will Pucovski after his latest concussion injury.
There was little joy for newly-named Test squad member Mark Steketee, who went wicketless across 14 overs, conceding 45 runs in the process.
Steketee was called up to Australia’s touring roster on Thursday as a replacement for injured fellow Queenslander Michael Neser.
The visiting Bulls turned around their dour showing on Day 1 to flourish in an action-packed morning session.
Queensland scored at barely two runs an over on Friday but thanks to Jack Clayton and James Bazley, they cracked 128 runs before being all out just prior to lunch.
Having resumed on 72, Clayton dominated the bowling to notch up an impressive century in his maiden first-class outing.
His 235-ball knock ended on 109, caught at square leg off the bowling of Will Sutherland (3-78) as the debutant sought further quick runs.
There was more pain for the Vics as Bazley (64) and Matt Kuhnemann (24 not out) combined for a 53-run tenth-wicket stand.
Meanwhile, Chris Tremain’s fast bowling has proved too much for Tasmania as NSW bowled their way to a strong position on Day 2 of their Sheffield Shield match at the SCG.
Tasmania laboured for much of the day under heavy cloud cover, scoring at less than two runs an over for long periods before being bowled out for 213 and conceding a 63-run first-innings deficit.
NSW’s openers were forced to face one over at the end of an elongated day and ended at 0-8.
Tremain (5-48) ripped through Tasmania’s top order to be on a hat trick early on.
The former Victoria quick was ably assisted at the other end by young leg spinner Tanveer Sangha, who bowled with impressive accuracy for 3-55 from 26 overs.
Tremain had opener Tim Vine (four) and Tasmania debutant Eamonn Vines (zero) back in the pavilion before a couple of rain delays halted play.
Opener Caleb Jones contributed a stoic 36 while number four Mac Wright steadied the ship with 57.
But Wright’s dismissal kick-started a middle-order collapse as Tasmania lost 6-54.
Jake Doran was defiant at the other end to add a patient 54 as wickets fell around him.
Peter Siddle decided attack was the best form of defence with the former Test paceman adding a wild unbeaten 31 off 21 balls in the final overs of the innings.
While the day belonged to the Blues, there was little joy early on for the hosts, who saw their innings wrapped up within four overs of the resumption.
Day 1 star Hayden Kerr missed out on a maiden first-class century when he could only add one run before being bowled for 88.
NSW added just four runs to their overnight 8-272 with former Blues quick Jackson Bird collecting both wickets to return figures of 3-38.
After last weekend’s dramatic victory in Brisbane, a win for NSW would push them into a five-way battle for the two spots in next month’s Shield final.
© AAP
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