Debutant’s big haul as Shield wickets tumble

A Queensland bowler is enjoying a dream debut, but Australia’s top batters and national selectors were left scratching their heads as wickets tumbled freely in the Sheffield Shield.

Henry Hunt and South Australia’s resistance was brought unstuck by 23-year-old quick Tom Whitney as he struck twice in an over to spark a Redbacks collapse of 3-0 at Allan Border Field.

Whitney finished with figures of 5-57 from his first Shield innings, but Hunt’s effort to carry his bat through the first day did not go to waste as Queensland’s star-studded top order all failed.

Nathan McAndrew (3-43) and Jordan Buckingham (3-78) vindicated their selections in the Australia A squad with early strikes to remove Matt Renshaw (2) and Usman Khawaja (0) lbw.

Marnus Labuschagne grinded his way to 22 only to clip a ball to square leg, where Liam Scott took a sharp catch off Buckingham’s bowling.

Another Australia A pick, Queensland keeper Jimmy Peirson, came to the crease at 4-73 but steered the Bulls into a competitive position, unbeaten on 83 as they reached 8-243 in the final session.

Whitney’s five-wicket haul came after he spent most of the 2023-24 season on the sidelines with a back injury.

“I loved every minute of it. To debut in front of family and friends is pretty special,” he said.

“I was sort of cramping towards the end (of the first day), but it was good to get a wicket at the end.

“It’s all come together well … I was pretty unlucky, having a back injury that ruled me out for the whole year, but our (fitness) staff helped me out and got me back out on the park.”

BANCROFT BLOWS CHANCE

The stage was set for West Australian opener Cameron Bancroft to stamp his Test credentials after a swath of opening contenders had fallen cheaply earlier in the day.

But the leading run-scorer in the last five years of Shield cricket has hit a rough patch, and nicked behind early to Tasmanian quick Kieran Elliott at the WACA on Monday.

On a green-tinged deck, Bancroft played at a short delivery well outside the line of off stump to make it scores of 0, 0 and 8 from his first three red-ball innings this summer.

Elliott was able to drag in his opening partner Sam Whiteman into playing a ball on a similar line for the same result, leaving WA 2-37 in reply to Tasmania’s 277.

The middle order stars for either side fared no better, with Beau Webster out caught behind to Matthew Kelly for three on the first day, and Mitchell Marsh removed by Mitch Owen for nine midway through the second session on day two.

Resuming after a rain-interrupted first day, off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli pouched two more wickets to continue an impressive string of performances at a ground traditionally not conducive to turn.

The 27-year-old finished with 4-70 from 24.3 overs to continue to mount pressure on Todd Murphy for the presumptive backup position behind Test finger spinner Nathan Lyon.

WICKETS TUMBLE AT MCG

Teenage Test hopeful Sam Konstas was brought back to earth by a probing new-ball spell from Scott Boland as New South Wales slumped to 4-28 at the MCG.

Konstas (2), Steve Smith (3) and Victorian duo Marcus Harris (16) and Peter Handscomb (5) were not immune to the seam-friendly conditions in Melbourne as 15 wickets fell in a 75-over period on the second day of the clash.

It took a contentious lbw decision to remove him, but Boland looked a class above the 19-year-old Konstas as he struggled to play nine deliveries from the veteran quick before he was sent on his way for 2.

Armed with a 136-run lead, Harris started with a flurry against Mitchell Starc after his gritty approach in the first innings, but was dismissed in almost identical fashion as he parried a ball down the legside into the gloves of a diving Josh Philippe.

Philippe had been the key figure for NSW with an unbeaten 45 to help them to 136 as Fergus O’Neill (4-29 from 17 overs) hardly deviated from his line to continue his impressive red-ball form from last season.

The young quick sparred with Smith in a marathon 10-over opening spell, but eventually strangled the veteran down the legside with a ball directed at his rib cage, which was taken superbly by keeper Sam Harper to his left.