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Indian seamers abandon past mistakes to reap rewards

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Bowling coach B Arun said India had learnt their lessons from the two previous away tours in 2018, especially from South Africa that had “very similar” pitches

Sidharth Monga in Sydney06-Jan-20194:36

Kuldeep was selected because of Ashwin’s injury – B Arun

It is often said that visiting fast bowlers in Australia get carried away by the bounce and start pitching too short, which plays into the hands of local batsmen. A day before finally sealing their first-ever series win in Australia, India’s bowling coach B Arun said they worked consciously to avoid that folly and not feed the cut or the pull of the Australian batsmen.”We do have a lot of respect for their fast-bowling attack, and I think they are probably one of the best in the world,” Arun said. “But we were more focused on what we could do, and we have also come to Australia previously and we knew how the wickets would be in Australia and things like that – very similar to the ones we got in South Africa. We drew upon all those experiences and said that to be successful in Australia, we need to make sure that we took the cut and pull out of the Australian batsmen and then focus on our strengths. That’s exactly what we did.”According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Australia’s batsmen have been able to cut or pull 227 balls for 304 runs, but these balls have also brought about 16 dismissals. That could suggest that the batsmen have probably been too eager to play their favourite shot, and have made errors in judgement. Australia’s Peter Handscomb gave that one to India, saying he got only one cut all series, and that ended in the hands of second slip. He has actually played seven cuts for nine runs and that dismissal.India, by comparison, have played 248 cuts or pulls for 398 runs and six dismissals.That was not the only improvement India made. “When we started off, it was a great opportunity for us in South Africa, and then in England,” Arun said. “Though the scoreline in England suggest a totally different view point, I thought we were very very close to winning in England. We did make mistakes there, and we thought hard as to where we went wrong and we said that those are the very areas, we would focus as we go forward. You can’t be making the same mistakes again and again. I thought those two tours were great experience for us and that has helped us immensely to come and do well in Australia.”When asked what the mistakes were, Arun spoke about getting rid of the tail. “More than mistakes, I would say we were too eager to get them out,” Arun said. “If you noticed in England, pretty easily they were always 80 for 5 and 90 for 5 and then we struggled with the second half. Bowlers were too eager to finish off the tail, so we said, ‘Let’s bowl to the tail just as we would to the top half.’ Those were the mistakes we made and I thought came in handy here.”

Bennett, Blundell star for Wellington in low-scoring game

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Fast bowler Hamish Bennett took ten wickets, and Tom Blundell took ten catches to go with two unbeaten knocks as Wellington consolidated their position at the top of the table

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017Wellington wicketkeeper Tom Blundell took ten catches and made unbeaten knocks in both innings of a low-scoring Plunket Shield match against Canterbury, as the hosts completed a five-wicket win on the second day. Blundell, who could be in line to replace the injured BJ Watling in New Zealand’s Test squad against West Indies, was the only player other than his team-mate Michael Papps (44 and 48) to make a score of 40-plus in the match.His unbeaten 43 in the first innings had helped Wellington take the lead after they had bowled Canterbury out for 118 on the back of fast bowler Hamish Bennett’s 5 for 14. Bennett cleaned up the lower order after Logan van Beek had taken the early wickets, including those of Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls. In reply, Wellington had a 75-run opening stand, that was followed by a collapse that saw them fold for 159. Canterbury’s 21-year-old medium-pacer Henry Shipley took his first five-wicket haul.It continued to be a bowler’s match in the second innings, with Bennett taking another five-wicket haul, starting with a wicket first-innings top scorer Chad Bowes off his third ball. A cameo from wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher (33) lifted Canterbury from 61 for 5, but they could only set Wellington 116.Papps’ 48 set the foundation, before Blundell and van Beek finished it off with a sixth-wicket stand of 30. The win gave Wellington 16 points, and they sit on top of the table with four wins in four.

Australia A bowlers set up crushing win

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Australia A bundled out South Africa A for 134 in Mackay, before romping home to an eight-wicket win with more than 30 overs to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGlenn Maxwell chipped in with bat and ball to earn the Man-of-the-Match award in Australia A’s big win•Gallo Images

Australia A bundled out South Africa A for 134 in Mackay, and then romped to an eight-wicket win with more than 30 overs to spare. The victory left them second on the points table, in position to push for a berth in the final against India A.After Australia A opted to bowl, Chris Tremain swiftly set about justifying that decision with the early wickets of Heino Kuhn and Theunis de Bruyn, reducing South Africa A to 2 for 18 in the seventh over.Khaya Zondo (40) and David Miller (25) rebuilt with a 53-run partnership, but they were dismissed within four overs of each other to leave South Africa A in trouble again. The trouble was compounded soon when Kane Richardson had Dane Vilas and Dwaine Pretorius caught behind for single-digit scores as the tourists were tottering at 6 for 88. Qaasim Adams (27) and Andile Phehlukwayo (22) provided the second partnership of any substance, putting on 36 off 52 for the seventh wicket.But Cameron Boyce ensured that the rebuilding phase did not last too long. The last four wickets fell in the space of 10 runs to Boyce’s legspin as South Africa A were bowled out in 42.1 overs.Much like South Africa A, the hosts lost their openers early and found themselves 2 for 32 in the sixth over. Thereafter, though, captain Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell made short work of the chase, sharing an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 104 off 79 to take Australia A past the target in the 19th over. Lynn ended with 56 off 51, while Maxwell scored a blistering 46 off 31 to add to his fine bowling analysis of 1 for 36 off 10 overs.The result meant South Africa A needed a bonus point win in their last league match, against National Performance Squad, to have any chance of making the final.

Browne ton leaves Glamorgan fight for draw

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Glamorgan go into the final day at Chelmsford facing a massive task to avoid their first defeat of the season

ECB/PA14-Jul-2015
ScorecardNick Browne made a second-innings hundred•Getty Images

Glamorgan go into the final day at Chelmsford facing a massive task to avoid their first defeat of the season. After being set a victory target of 462, they reached the close on 110 for 1 but with the pitch starting to offer more encouragement to the spinners, it will need something special to deny their opponents success.Essex’s position of strength owed much to the efforts of Nick Browne and Liam Dawson. They shared in a stand of 237, setting a new record opening partnership for Essex against Glamorgan and they seldom experienced moment of anxiety. Left-hander Browne excelled with some fine driving, a straight six at the expense of offspinner Andrew Salter carrying him to his third century of the summer. He went on to make 129 that also included 20 fours before he was caught behind off legspinner Colin Ingram.Dawson, on-loan from Hampshire, and thrust into the opener’s role because Jaik Mickleburgh was suffering from back spasms, looked set to mark his home debut with a hundred. He had moved to 99 when he pushed a simple return catch to Ingram that brought to an end an innings that was noted for its placement rather than power. His effort contained eight fours and a six and his dismissal arrived soon after Ingram had trapped Tom Westley leg before on his way to final figures of 3 for 90 in 17 overs.Ravi Bopara was the fourth batsman to depart in the space of 33 runs but Jesse Ryder and Ryan ten Doeschate composed and unbroken stand of 74 in 11 overs before the 344 for 4 declaration left Glamorgan with their daunting mission. Both went aggressively about their business, Ryder’s 41 came from 43 balls while ten Doeschate struck 40 from 36 deliveries with the aid of four fours and a six.Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg looked comfortable enough against the Essex pace attack when they began Glamorgan’s second innings but the introduction of left-arm spinner Dawson proved more of a problem. He soon beat the bat and found the edge before he tempted Bragg into a pull that finished in the hands of ten Doeschate at midwicket to bring to an end an encouraging partnership of 42.But 18 year-old Aneurin Donald and the experienced Rudolph further success. The teenager was particularly impressive as he seized every opportunity the loose ball as he ended the day with 42 from 68 balls. The more cautious Rudolph will resume in 45 which has so far spanned 95 balls.

Pakistan offer $2m life insurance deal

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Pakistan have offered a lucrative insurance policy of $2 million and tax-free income for foreign cricketers who are thinking of participating in the Pakistan Super League

Umar Farooq24-Jan-2013Pakistan have offered an insurance policy of $2 million and tax-free income for foreign cricketers who are thinking of participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).Pakistan have not hosted international cricket since terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. Since then they have had to play their “home” matches at offshore venues such as England and the UAE. The idea of having a PSL in the country is a strategic move by the PCB to win back the confidence of cricketing nations.But the world professional cricketers’ union FICA has raised its concerns over the security situation in Pakistan and warned players against taking part in the PSL, citing it an unmanageable risk. “We understand their concerns and we can’t blame them,” Zaka Ashraf, PCB chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s the negative perception about Pakistan that has to be changed and people should understand that things are not so bad.”But for their sense of security we are offering an optional insurance policy worth $2 million for the satisfaction of their families. They will be our special guests and we are ensuring every possible step to give them security at a higher level and if they think this isn’t enough they can take the insurance option as well.”Cricket operations in Pakistan aren’t tax exempted but the PCB is offering residential and non-residential players tax-free income from the PSL. Apart from the “emerging” players, they stand to earn between $25,000 and $100,000 for taking part in a 10-day tournament. The base price for the top category diamond player starts at $100,000.”Government is ready to grant us the exemption on income of the PSL and it’s an added advantage of our product for the players to earn tax free income,” Ashraf said. “We are offering the most money compared to the other leagues in the world. In ten days you can get the most out of it before going to the IPL starting in April.”

Australia four wickets from a 4-0 whitewash

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Whitewash, clean sweep, shutout. Whatever you like to call it, Australia were on track for a 4-0 series victory over India by stumps on the fourth day in Adelaide

The Report by Brydon Coverdale27-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRyan Harris was thrilled to snag Rahul Dravid in what was almost certainly his last innings in Australia•Getty Images

Whitewash, clean sweep, shutout. Whatever you like to call it, Australia were on track for a 4-0 series victory over India by stumps on the fourth day in Adelaide. Four wickets stood between Michael Clarke’s men and the completion of a remarkable feat. India finished the day needing a further 334 for victory, but a comeback from Kapil Dev is more likely than one from India in this match.At stumps India were 6 for 166, having been set a target of 500. To put that in perspective, the highest successful chase in all of Test history was 418 by West Indies in Antigua nine years ago. The best in Adelaide was the 315 that Joe Darling’s Australia chased down against England 110 years ago. In the past century, the highest Test chase in Adelaide was less than half of what India required in this innings.Ishant Sharma was at the crease on 2 and Wriddhiman Saha was yet to score when India walked off, any minuscule hope they had having disappeared along with VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli in the dying stages. Laxman and Kohli had steadied, relatively speaking, with a 52-run partnership when Laxman fell victim to his own wristy tendencies.Clarke set a leg slip, a short leg and a short catching midwicket for Laxman facing the offspin of Nathan Lyon, and on 35 the batsman complied with a flick straight into the hands of Shaun Marsh at short midwicket. The ball had rocketed off the bat but Marsh’s reflexes were good enough, and Laxman was left to wonder if it would be his final act in Test cricket.But even more remarkable was Kohli’s departure. India had sent in Ishant as a nightwatchman, traditionally a position that requires a lower-order batsman to maintain the strike and protect the specialist. Instead, Kohli wanted so desperately to face the last over of the day that he pushed the final ball of the penultimate over wide of mid-on and raced off for a risky single.

Smart stats

  • Ricky Ponting scored a half-century in the second innings to go with his first-innings double-century. This is the second time that Ponting has achieved this feat and the ninth such instance for an Australia batsman.

  • Since his Cape Town century in January 2011, Sachin Tendulkar has gone 22 innings without a century. This is the longest century drought for him surpassing the 17 innings he went without a hundred between 2005 and 2007.

  • Tendulkar’s average of 35.87 in the series is his lowest ever in a series in Australia and his fourth-lowest overall in series of four or more matches. His lowest average is 33.66 in South Africa in 1992-93.

  • Rahul Dravid once again had a batting failure taking his run tally to just 194 runs in the series. Except for the 2003 tour, Dravid’s average in Australia is just 24.95 in 22 innings.

  • VVS Laxman ended the series with 155 runs in eight innings at an average of 19.37. This is his second-lowest average in a series (four or more matches) after the 17.57 in the home series against Australia in 2004.

  • Dravid, the Test record holder for the most catches, failed to take a single catch for the first time in a series of three or more matches since the series against Sri Lanka in 1997.

  • Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag last shared a century stand in Centurion in 2010. Since then, they have aggregated 182 runs in 12 innings at an average of 15.16 with a highest of 27.

  • The highest score made by any team in the fourth innings to win a Test in Adelaide is 315 by Australia in 1902. The most overs a team has played out in the fourth innings in Adelaide to draw a game is 120 (eight-ball overs), when Australia ended at 273 for 9 against West Indies in 1961.

The ball was collected by Ben Hilfenhaus, whose momentum was carrying him away from the stumps, but his fast throw hit the stumps and Kohli was run-out for 22. It was a wonderful piece of work from Hilfenhaus, hardly the nimblest of Australia’s fielders, and as Kohli walked off he thumped his fist on his own helmet in frustration at his ill-judged run.Already Australia had seen the backs of Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. It was the wicket of Tendulkar that really got the hosts going, as it left India at 4 for 110 and ensured that despite Tendulkar’s greatness, he had had no serious impact on the series, finishing with 287 runs at an average of 35.87.Tendulkar was caught for 13 at short leg when he inside edged onto his leg off Lyon and the ball bobbed up to Ed Cowan. Tendulkar walked off to a standing ovation, but at least Australian fans will see him bat again, during the one-day series. Another all-time great, Dravid, almost certainly walked off an Australian ground for the last time a short while earlier.On 25, Dravid’s thick edge off the bowling of Ryan Harris was snapped up by Michael Hussey at gully. Australia were making good progress after Sehwag gave Indian fans a brief glimmer of hope with a brisk half-century. He was so aggressive to anything wide of off stump that 54 of his 62 runs came through the off side, including all 12 of his boundaries, as he gave little regard to the risk of being caught.Eventually his downfall came when he miscued an attempted slog off a Nathan Lyon full toss and was caught at cover. Already India had lost Gambhir, who will finish the series with a disappointing average of 22.83 after he pushed at a Harris delivery and was caught behind for 3.India had come to the crease after Clarke allowed his own batsmen to play for three overs after lunch in order to set the target of 500, before he declared with Australia on 5 for 167. Ricky Ponting finished unbeaten on 60 and Brad Haddin was on 11.As Homer Simpson once pointed out after observing that it was time to play the waiting game, “the waiting game sucks. Let’s play Hungry Hungry Hippos!” Such was the case in the first session as Australia accumulated more and more runs without any sense of urgency, despite already having ample to defend, with both teams waiting patiently for Clarke’s declaration.Australia added 104 in the first session for the loss of two wickets. Clarke had just started to lift his tempo against the spin of R Ashwin when he feathered a catch behind for 37 off Umesh Yadav, and Hussey was adjudged lbw to Ishant Sharma for 15.As the innings moved on, India’s batsmen could see that some runs remained in the pitch but the surface was only going to become more difficult, perhaps another reason why Clarke delayed his declaration. Whatever the case, India knew they would have to completely rewrite history in order to escape with a victory.By stumps, any slim hopes they had were gone.

'Durban among toughest wickets I've played' – Laxman

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VVS Laxman ranks Durban “up there” with the best wins of his career, especially because on the first day the batsmen had to counter “one of the most challenging wickets I have played on in my career”.

Sidharth Monga in Durban30-Dec-2010VVS Laxman ranks Durban “up there” with the best wins of his career, especially because on the first day the batsmen had to counter “one of the most challenging wickets I have played on in my career”.”If you beat South Africa on definitely the quickest and bounciest wicket in the country, it gives you that much additional joy,” Laxman said, a day after India finished the series-levelling 87-run win. “Everyone talks about Durban being the place where South Africa puts the opposition under pressure, even though the results haven’t been going their way recently. It gives us a lot of satisfaction to have beaten them in these conditions.”Laxman said the conditions in Durban were the supreme test of India’s batsmen’s skill and temperament. “You have got a pace-bowling attack that is one of the best in the world at the moment. Then the conditions were ideal for them, where the ball was seaming, and there was bounce that we are not used to because most of the time we play on subcontinent wickets. Even abroad you don’t usually get wickets that have such steep bounce. Test match cricket is all about challenging the skill you have got, and the temperament you have got. And this was one of the most challenging wickets I have played on in my career.”Until Ashwell Prince scored 39 in South Africa’s second innings, the game’s top two scores belonged to Laxman: 96 and 38. It took a stunning catch to stop him at 38 in the first innings. His patience, his skill, his technique stood apart from the 11 other specialist batsmen and two wicketkeeper-batsmen on show. And again, as has increasingly become Laxman’s wont, he added runs with the tail.”It boils down to the experience and the rapport I share with each one of them,” he said of the secret behind his success with the lower order. “It is very important to give them confidence. Luckily, each one of them works on his batting, and they take a lot of pride in their batting and don’t want to throw their wicket away. Because they’re out there with a fighting spirit, and not to give their wicket away easily to the opposition, it helps me.”We set ourselves small targets without looking at getting a 30-run or a 50-run partnership. We’re just looking to have a five-run partnership or survive one over, and then take it five overs at a time or something like that. The most important thing is knowing what they are comfortable with and that’s something I’ve learnt to do over the years. If I know that a batsman is not comfortable with a certain bowler then I don’t give them strike. But if they’re comfortable, then I definitely give them the strike because the scoreboard keeps moving and the pressure suddenly shifts from us to the opposition.”Laxman missed out on a century in Durban, which has often been the case with many a crucial knock of his, coming as they tend to do with the lower order for company. Here, too, he was the last man out, trying to get a boundary when the field came up for the last two deliveries of an over. Before that, though, he had played a paddle-sweep to get to the 90s, a shot he doesn’t often play.”That’s something I got into my repertoire this year, especially after playing against Sri Lanka last year in India. There was a situation at CCI (the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai) where they didn’t have the square leg back because I don’t play the sweep shot. I wasn’t getting easy singles. That’s when I started playing the sweep shot, and even in Sri Lanka this year I played it. I worked a lot on that shot in the nets, and I’m quite comfortable playing it.”Laxman admitted he was disappointed about missing a century. “You’re happy that you’ve been able to absorb the pressure and perform when it’s required and play an important knock for the team, but from a personal milestone point of view you will be very disappointed. As I always feel, my conversion rate hasn’t been great, with 49 fifties and 16 hundreds. From a personal point of view I would have been more happy to get centuries in these games, but from the team perspective I’ve done reasonably well to bail the team out of tough situations.”He might have missed the hundred, but he talked of something that meant more to him. “You always want to be remembered as somebody who contributed to winning matches for the country. The biggest recognition you can get is when your team-mates know that you are somebody who can go in during tough situations and bail the team out, or when the opposition feels that they cannot take it for granted that the match is over till you are out. It also gives you added responsibility that you have to go and do it whenever you play for the country.”Laxman said he doesn’t quite know what it is that gets the best out of him in pressure situations. “If the situation is like the one it was in Durban, in both the innings, it gets the best out of me. I don’t know the reason for it. Probably the zone I go into when we are faced with a tough challenge is much more consistent than the one I go in with for the first innings.”Laxman said the major difference between the Indian sides that took the field in Centurion and Durban was aggression, not the verbal kind but the intent. “Coming into this Test match we were upset firstly about what happened in Centurion and the preparations were good leading into the Test. The aggression was more than what it was in Centurion. As a fielding unit and a bowling unit, we were aggressive on the field. The turning point was the way our bowlers bowled on the second day because getting just 200 runs on the first-day wicket, even though it was a reasonable achievement by the team, it was still a situation where one partnership could take the game away from us. But our bowlers bowled with intent, the fielders backed them up with some extraordinary catches and the body language was extremely aggressive. I think that was the difference between Centurion and Durban”One of the major factors in the revival was Zaheer Khan, and Laxman spoke of his value to the team. “He is one of the toughest bowlers to play. I would never like to face him in a match. In the nets he is always at you. The way he prepares, knowing what he is going to do in the upcoming Test, is unbelievable. He is a great role model for all the young fast bowlers.”As a team-mate, his presence just lifts us because of the way he helps the other fast bowlers. It’s not only that he comes and bowls his quota of overs and keeps quiet, but the way he guides an Ishant Sharma or a Sreesanth while they are bowling is unbelievable. He has been a true match-winner for us over the years. Not only where conditions help fast bowling, but also in the subcontinent.”

ZC commercialises Twenty20 cup

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Zimbabwe’s domestic Twenty20 competition will be run by Harare-based sports event management company Dominus Sport

Cricinfo staff26-Jan-2010The shake-up of Zimbabwe’s domestic structure is set to continue with the news that this year’s domestic Twenty20 competition will be run by Harare-based sports event management company Dominus Sport. It appears that while Dominus Sport has the sole mandate to stage the competition, ZC remains the governing body and Dominus Sport will work within the ZC domestic structure.The nine-day domestic Twenty20 cup starts on February 12 and will be staged solely in Harare. In addition to the five domestic franchises, Namibia have been invited to take part as the sixth side in the competition. The Namibian team is expected to arrive in Zimbabwe on February 10, two days prior to the start of the tournament.”Twenty20 cricket has gained popularity around the world and has carved out a niche market for itself,” said ZC managing director Ozias Bvute. “We saw the need to be innovative in our approach to increasing cricket audiences here in Zimbabwe and decided to enter into a partnership with Dominus Sport. I am confident that this relationship will result in the growth of cricket as a mass-market sport and entertainment alternative.”The revamping of Zimbabwe’s provincial structure began with the creation of the five regional franchises last year, as was recommended by an ICC report into the country’s cricketing infrastructure. The ZC Board resolved to commercialise its various domestic competitions at a general meeting in Bulawayo in August 2009, although the 2009-10 Twenty20 competition will be the first to be run by a separate company.Apart from the final between Westerns and Northerns, last year’s domestic Twenty20 competition suffered from poor spectator attendances and struggled to arouse interest from the media, and it remains to be seen whether these latest changes will garner more attention.

Hampshire slip into relegation mix as Sussex escape with draw

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Rain again thwarts visitors’ push for victory on same day that they receive points deduction

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025A bad day for Hampshire ended with them flirting with first division relegation after rain frustrated their attempt to beat Sussex at Hove.Only 21 overs were possible on the final day at the 1st Central County Ground and between the showers Sussex, who needed 278 to win, reached 84 for 3 before a final downpour at 4pm ended play with opener Tom Haines unbeaten on 40. Both teams took 11 points.That at least covered the eight points Hampshire had been deducted earlier in the day for preparing a poor pitch when Sussex won at the Utilita Bowl in May.Hampshire have a trip to Somerset next week before they finish the season at home to title-chasing Surrey.Having been up against it after two days, Sussex will be relieved with an outcome which stretches the gap between them and the bottom two. They host ninth-placed Yorkshire next week before finishing the season against the side currently bottom, Worcestershire, at New Road.After the entire third day was washed out, more rain delayed the start until 2pm, leaving Sussex 51 overs to score a further 241 at 4.7 runs per over.On a pitch which was becoming more comfortable to bat on, Hampshire needed to take every opportunity going but in the third over of the day wicketkeeper Ben Brown put down a chance low to his right offered by night watcher Sean Hunt off Kyle Abbott. In the next over Hunt edged Keith Barker between second and third slips.Just 27 minutes were possible before another shower drove the players off with six overs lost but Hampshire then struck twice in successive overs to give themselves hope. Hunt had done his job, using up 61 balls in making 19 before left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin pinned him lbw half forward.In the next over Barker picked up a deserved wicket when Ollie Carter was bowled by a delivery which nipped back onto his off stump. But only 8.4 overs more were bowled either side of tea before another downpour was quickly followed by handshakes on the dressing-room balcony.

Boland makes his return count to lift Victoria in finals race

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The Australia quick grabbed four wickets as Western Australia slipped from a promising position

AAP11-Mar-2024Scott Boland returned from New Zealand to help Victoria claim an early advantage in their must-win Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia.The 34-year-old was an invaluable inclusion for Victoria after being released from Australia’s Test squad having been deemed surplus to requirements for the 2-0 series victory over New Zealand.Related

  • Wade to miss start of IPL in order to play Sheffield Shield final

  • McSweeney's ton and McAndrew's strikes put pressure on leaders Tasmania

Boland toiled away in hot conditions on Monday to take 4 for 41, helping bowl WA out for 244 after Victoria captain Will Sutherland won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Sutherland’s decision was looking questionable when WA moved to 203 for 4. But Boland, Fergus O’Neill (3-48) and spinner Todd Murphy (2-54) helped trigger a collapse of 6 for 41.”I would have liked to have stayed over in New Zealand if I was playing, but there was an opportunity to play back here,” Boland said. “I’ve spent so much time carrying the drinks this year so it’s been nice to be back on the field. Credit to our whole bowling group, we stuck to our plans that we wanted to implement to their batters.”Most of the WA top-order got starts, but Jayden Goodwin finished top scorer with 43. Aaron Hardie and Hilton Cartwright battled hard during their knocks but could never settleVictoria had to face five overs before stumps, losing in-form opener Nic Maddinson to Cameron Gannon for 2.Former Test batter Peter Handscomb is due to come in at No. 5 in his 100th Shield match.Dual reigning champions, WA need to avoid losing to be assured of reaching a third successive decider. Sitting second on the table, the visitors can still make the final with a draw.But Victoria – one place lower on the ladder – will be pushing hard to force a result after losing the last two finals against WA.Tasmania, who last won a Shield title in 2012-13, are in the box seat to host the final after losing just once this season.