New South Wales is three wickets away from ending its record long winless streak after Chris Tremain rocked Sheffield Shield holders Western Australia with a stunning spell at the SCG.
Tremain claimed a five-wicket haul in just 38 balls as he ripped through the Warriors’ top order, with the visitors going to stumps at 7-104 with 31 more runs still needed to make NSW bat again.
It came after a powerful maiden century from Ollie Davies propelled the Blues to a 135-run lead on the second day of the clash.
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After struggling early in response to WA’s first innings 141 to limp to 4-71, Davies shone with 13 fours and two sixes in his 129 from 143 balls.
The 23-year-old, who has impressed in limited overs cricket for the Blues and Sydney Thunder, belted a delivery over mid-on to reach his century after putting on 116 with captain Moises Henriques (51) for the fifth wicket.
The Blues have been winless in the Sheffield Shield for 15 matches over a period spanning more than 20 months, but following Tremain’s scintillating burst are on the verge of upsetting domestic cricket’s dominant side for the last two seasons.
Tremain had Sam Whiteman strangled down the leg side for one before he ripped through Teague Wyllie and Hilton Cartwright in consecutive deliveries in his next over to be on a hat-trick heading into the final session.
He narrowly missed Josh Philippe’s outside edge with the hat-trick ball, but squared him up four deliveries later to have him caught at second slip for a duck to leave WA 4-21.
Cameron Bancroft stood firm to reach stumps unbeaten on 44, with Joel Paris (26) hanging around for a crucial 45 minutes before Charlie Stobo (16 not out) pushed through to the end of play with the opener.
Meanwhile Marcus Harris has snapped a dire run of form to rejoin the hunt for the looming Test opener vacancy when he hit his first hundred of the season in the match against Tasmania on Tuesday.
With David Warner’s spot up for grabs following his flagged retirement after the Sydney Test, the left-hander had fallen behind in-form duo Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw in the pecking order.
But a huge 164 on a good batting pitch at the CitiPower Centre will bring the nationally contracted opener back to the forefront of the selectors’ minds.
Harris said he was trying to “stay neutral” following the innings after a tough start to the season.
“It was just one of those things where you’ve got to keep backing yourself in,” Harris said.
“I was hitting them alright (in the nets). I was working extra hard to try and find a way to get myself into some sort of form.
“Like I’ve said before, it will all look after itself in the long run … when you have a lean patch like I have those first two Shield games, it makes you extra hungry to want to stay there and grind them out, make up for those days.”
Despite Harris’ 306-ball vigil, Tasmania retained the upper hand after clever use of reverse swing helped reduce Victoria to 373 and secure a 79-run first innings lead.
The Tigers declined the new ball after 80 overs and even swapped out their 90-over-old ball for another one, which Harris said he “wouldn’t give to my dog”.
“It made it really hard to score, it was very frustrating,” Harris said.
Tasmania was 1-15 with a lead of 94 when rain hit late in the final session and brought an early end to play on day three, after Peter Siddle had Caleb Jewell removed cheaply with an excellent catch from Matt Short diving to his left at second slip.
South Australia opener Henry Hunt pushed on with his first day hundred to help the Redbacks into a commanding position at the Gabba with his own reminder to the national selectors.
The 26-year-old reached 162 in damp conditions as he put on 212 with Nathan McSweeney (112 not out) who brought up his second Shield hundred for the summer.
Hunt’s innings broke a first-class hundred drought stretching back to June 2022, when the right-hander toured Sri Lanka with Australia A.
He was handed the Redbacks captaincy last season but his form troubled him to the extent that he rescinded the role midway through the summer.
The Redbacks declared their innings closed on 5-359 before Jordan Buckingham snagged the important wicket of Renshaw in the final session for 26.
Bryce Street was unbeaten on 47 and Joe Burns on five as the Bulls reached 1-82 at stumps.
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