With the clock ticking down to December 6, picking the batting line-up for the first Test against India just got a whole lot harder after yesterday’s round of Sheffield Shield matches.
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The Marsh brothers scored runs in Adelaide, but in Canberra two Queensland Test frontrunners failed against NSW.
■ In Hobart a half-century to opener Alex Doolan helped drag Tasmania back into their shield contest against Victoria.
The Tigers were 2-196 in their second innings at stumps on day two, trailing by five runs.
Doolan appeared on track for his second shield ton this season but late in yesterday’s third session slashed Peter Siddle to slip and was dismissed for 94. His knock came after a 90 in Tasmania’s draw against NSW last week.
‘‘To get out again in the 90s, when we’re setting up the game, is really disappointing. I’m kicking myself,’’ Doolan said.
The 32-year-old, who played four Tests in 2014, is mounting a strong case for a recall this summer and sits atop the shield run tally.
His latest knock came against a Victorian attack of Siddle, Scott Boland, Chris Tremain, James Pattinson and Jon Holland.
Doolan shared a 170-run opening stand with Jordan Silk (77 not out), with the pair batting through the second session largely untroubled.
It was a marked batting reversal for the Tigers, who were routed for just 81 in a session and a bit on day one at Bellerive Oval.
Victoria posted 282 in reply yesterday, after resuming at 5-148.
Siddle and Holland put on 50 for the final wicket to set up a massive 201-run first innings lead.
Riley Meredith was the pick of the Tigers’ bowlers with 4-61.
Victoria’s quicks, led by Chris Tremain (5-13), rolled through Tasmania on Saturday after they were sent in on a green-tinged pitch.
Victoria were 2-21 but Cameron White steadied the ship with a composed 63. Test aspirant Peter Handscomb failed with four but will likely get another bat to make amends.
SCOREBOARD
Tasmania 1st innings 81
Victoria 1st innings
T Dean run out (Silk) 5
M Harris c Paine b Meredith 22
P Handscomb c Paine b Sandhu 4
C White c Doran b Bird 63
M Short b Meredith 16
S Gotch lbw Meredith 41
J Pattinson c Paine b Webster 30
C Tremain b Webster 5
P Siddle c Sandhu b Meredith 42
S Boland b Bird 16
J Holland not out 29
Sundries (1b 2lb 6nb) 9
TOTAL: 282
FALL: 17 (Dean), 21 (Handscomb), 59 (Harris), 95 (Short), 131 (White), 181 (Gotch), 187 (Pattinson), 200 (Tremain), 232 (Boland), 282 (Siddle).
BOWLING: J Bird 24-6-68-2 (3nb), G Bell 19-9-49-0, G Sandhu 22-3-65-1, R Meredith 19.4-3-61-4 (3nb), M Wade 3-0-15-0, B Webster 7-2-21-2.
OVERS: 94.4.
Tasmania 2nd innings
J Silk not out 77
A Doolan c White b Siddle 94
B Webster c Gotch b Holland 19
J Doran not out 0
Sundries (b 3, lb 1, nb 2) 6
TOTAL: 2/196
FALL: 170 (Doolan), 193 (Webster)
BOWLING: P Siddle 12-1-41-1, C Tremain 11-3-40-0, S Boland 13-3-36-0 (2nb), J Pattinson 12-1-49-0, J Holland 12-3-26-1
OVERS: 60
■ Matt Renshaw’s head rocked back in disgust, Marnus Labuschagne’s chin sunk into his chest, and the eyes of Australia’s selectors rolled as they wondered ‘what now?’. All eyes were on three Test hopefuls from Queensland but the two frontrunners fell on their sword on a day belonging to two unheralded batsmen in blue helmets.
NSW openers Nick Larkin (175 not out) and Daniel Hughes (116) scored sparkling centuries to open up a 328-run lead heading into the final day of their shield showdown at Manuka Oval yesterday.
The Blues’ all-star bowlers left storm clouds circling the selection boardroom as Mitchell Starc claimed Renshaw (6) and Josh Hazlewood nabbed Labuschagne (4). Joe Burns is still alive on 37* to add further intrigue to the fight for spots in the Test XI.
Larkin has waited four years for his second first-class ton and the 290-ball effort was one to remember, allowing captain Peter Nevill to declare on 3-360 and give his quicks a crack at the Bulls, who are 2-51 at stumps.
NSW are on the cusp of ending a 10-match winless streak and their fate now rests in the hands of Starc, Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, and Pat Cummins as they tune up for a Test series against India.
■ At the Adelaide Oval, Shaun Marsh struck an unbeaten half-century and holds the key to Western Australia’s run chase against South Australia.
Set 313 to win, WA are 4-146 at stumps on the third day, with Shaun Marsh unbeaten on 72 and his brother Mitch making 44.
The Marsh brothers put on 83runs for the third wicket in a promising tune-up for the Test series against India starting on December 6. Mitch was well-set, hitting six fours and a six, when bowled by Redbacks quick Daniel Worrall.
Teammate Ashton Turner (5) soon followed, caught behind to Worrall, as the game returned to the balance. Worrall’s superb comeback from a five-month injury lay-off continued with 3-56, after his seven-wicket haul in the Warriors’ first innings. Earlier, Harry Nielsen notched 82 as the Redbacks posted a second-innings 268.
With AAP
