Australian Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey has started his red-ball summer like a house on fire, dispatching New South Wales bowlers to all parts on Wednesday afternoon to continue his hot run of form.
And over at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, Victoria’s tail has wagged with conviction to help post a formidable total, before knocking over Tasmania’s top order.
With his South Australian side bowling out the NSW Blues for 366, Carey reached a 26th first-class fifty in just 33 balls – smoking six fours and three sixes with authority.
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Arriving at the crease at 3/87, Carey replaced fellow Australian teammate Travis Head – who departed for 30 runs off 44 balls, hitting two sixes of his own.
The SA side – formerly known as the West End Redbacks – lost consistent wickets early, but Carey’s innings of 90 off 85 balls has well and truly steadied the South Australian ship, putting on a 131-run stand with captain Nathan McSweeney (54*) at the other end.
Carey’s innings ended courtesy of Test teammate Nathan Lyon, who had him skying a high ball into the hands of veteran Moises Henriques.
Lyon quickly struck again three balls later, dismissing Daniel Drew caught-and-bowled for a duck and leaving SA 5/218.
Spinner Tanveer Sangha took two of NSW’s first three wickets, with Liam Hatcher dismissing Conor McInerney for his first pole of the season.
Sam Konstas’ maiden Sheffield Shield century that saw him peel off 152 runs on Day 1 was the highlight for the home side, with Josh Philippe (56 runs) and number 11 Liam Hatcher (26) also making handy contributions.
Down south, Victoria’s imposing declaration on a score of 9/428 was largely thanks to Marcus Harris (143) and Peter Handscomb (129) on day one, but was nicely added to late by Mitch Perry’s third half-century at domestic level.
The bowling all-rounder finished on 58 not out off 94 balls, and was well-accompanied by Fergus O’Neill (36) and Australian spinner Todd Murphy (20 off 23 balls).
Gabe Bell was the best of Tasmania’s bowlers across the 116.3 over-innings, finishing with figures of 3/63 – while new recruit Matthew Kuhnemann 2/119.
Perry’s impact on the first sets of innings was far from over though, with the 24-year-old also taking Victoria’s first wicket – dismissing left-hander Caleb Jewell caught behind for 32.
Opener Jake Weatherald (28) and Charlie Wakim (18) held down the fort for the Tigers briefly, before losing two wickets in four balls, courtesy of Sam Elliott and Murphy.
Weatherald could count himself particularly unlucky, with Vic opener Ashley Chandrasinghe taking a blinding catch at short leg off Murphy.
Jake Doran (33) and Jordan Silk (37*) put on 63 runs for the fourth wicket, before Perry picked up his second wicket – bowling Doran to leave Tasmania 4/143.
Over in Western Australia, recent white-ball debutant Cooper Connolly (79) and former Queenslander Cameron Gannon (53) put on 121 runs for the eighth wicket, helping lift the home side from 7/288 to 8/409.
Connolly looked totally untroubled in his 102-ball stay, complementing the day one work of Josh Inglis (122) and Sam Whiteman (102).
Both Gannon and Connolly saw off multiple sets of short-ball spells at the body, as well as the prowess of Michael Neser – who took five wickets on day one after a sensational display of swing bowling.
Funnily, it was captain Marnus Labuschsagne who saw the back of Gannon – bowling seam up in an uncommon, but not totally unforeseeable change-up from his normal leg-spin.
Number 11 bat Corey Rocchiccioli (12*) and new recruit Brody Couch (31) teed off straight away after Connolly’s departure, hitting three sixes in seven balls between them as they dined out on spinner Mitch Swepson and part-timer Matthew Renshaw.
Western Australia were eventually bowled out for 461, thanks to an excellent catch on the boundary by Neser – who had to juggle the catch on the right side of the boundary line.
Labuschagne and Renshaw each finished with two wickets apiece, while Swepson finished with 1/140.
Opening Queensland pair Renshaw and veteran Usman Khawaja saw out the first six overs of their innings, with the Bulls 0/12.
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