Head falls cheap as SA falter in Shield

Scott Bailey | November 2, 2022

Travis Head’s lean start to the summer has continued after he was dismissed for eight in South Australia’s Sheffield Shield clash with NSW.

SA went to lunch on day three at 4-128, in reply to the Blues’ first-innings 5(dec)-389 in Wollongong.

Head was among three wickets to fall on the third morning, caught at first slip when he swung hard at a wide ball from Liam Hatcher and toed it to first slip.

It means the Test incumbent’s run of scores to start the Shield this summer stands at 76, 6, 5, 0 and 8, while also failing to pass 50 in three one-day games.

Head has credits in the bank and is by no means under pressure to hold his spot for Australia’s first Test against West Indies in Perth on November 30.

The left-hander was player of the season in last summer’s Ashes win, hitting two centuries and averaging 59.5 while batting at No.5.

But he would no doubt like to find some runs before the start of this summer’s Tests, after also enduring tough tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Head will feature in up to two more Shield games before the first Test, with a game against Queensland due to end just two days before Australia enter camp in Perth.

The Redbacks also have two 50-over games in that time.

Meanwhile tailender Wes Agar provided most of the spark for South Australia on Wednesday morning for his maiden first-class half-century, before he swept Nathan Lyon (2-35) to a man in the deep on 57.