Sutherland’s Vics push Qld to the brink in Shield
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Newly-minted captain Will Sutherland has led the way as Victoria lifted themselves into a strong position at the midway point of the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the MCG.
Victoria ended the day at 2-21, a lead of 153 runs as the home side chase a win that will likely lift them into second at the Bulls’ expense.
The story of the day was Queensland’s top-order failure with the bat in the face of unrelenting and accurate quick bowling from the hosts.
Sutherland (4-35) returned the best figures after ripping through the lower-order, having earlier clean bowled the dangerous Max Bryant for 38.
Mitch Perry (2-47) also made two major key breakthroughs in the form of Bryce Street (34) and top-scorer Michael Neser (43).
Queensland’s rot commenced with rookie Fergus O’Neill (3-36), who claimed the first three scalps, recording the best figures of his fledgling career in the process.
O’Neill’s early breakthrough left Queensland floundering at 3-27, and things barely improved after lunch as the visitors slipped to 6-92.
It took a 65-run stand for the seventh wicket – the best of the innings – between Neser and Xavier Bartlett (28) to give Queensland some hope.
But Sutherland’s late burst of wickets ensured they conceded a 132-run deficit with Marcus Harris’s 100 on day one shaping as pivotal.
Harris, though, may have mixed memories of this match after Neser produced a superb new-ball delivery to induce a leading edge into the gully as the former Test opener was dismissed for a four-ball duck in the second innings.
There was further cause for celebration for Queensland in the dying minutes with Ashley Chandrasinghe – scorer of a half-century a day earlier – bowled by Bartlett for three.
The day started promisingly for the Queenslanders who cut through Victoria’s lower-order to bowl them out for 307 after resuming at 6-282.
The consistent Neser was the pick of the Bulls bowlers with 4-71, lifting him top among this season’s Shield wicket-takers.
AAP
