Cricket

New South Wales (NSW) dominated Victoria in a One-Day Cup clash at the Junction Oval, securing a resounding 140-run victory. Despite the absence of Josh Hazlewood due to illness, NSW showcased their batting prowess with half-centuries from Steven Smith, Nic Maddinson, and Matthew Gilkes.Smith, returning to form after a disappointing Sheffield Shield match, struck a fluent 56 off 54 deliveries, including four fours and two sixes. Maddinson contributed 63 off 64 balls, while Gilkes provided a late surge with a blistering 74 off 42 deliveries, featuring eight fours and four sixes.Victoria's bowlers struggled to contain NSW's onslaught, with only veteran Peter Siddle offering resistance. The 39-year-old claimed a List A career-best 5 for 49, including the wickets of Smith, Gilkes, Pat Cummins, Josh Philippe, and Moises Henriques.In reply, Victoria's chase was anchored by Matthew Short's impressive 80 off 57 balls. However, the loss of wickets at regular intervals hindered their progress. Cummins, making his return after a long layoff, claimed the key wicket of Sam Harper, while Chris Green picked up three wickets to finish with 3 for 27.The victory extends NSW's unbeaten start to the One-Day Cup, while Victoria remains winless after two matches.

Victoria's relentless seamers dismantled a formidable New South Wales batting lineup, securing a resounding 141-run victory at the MCG. The triumph was overshadowed by the exceptional performance of Mitchell Starc, who showcased his readiness for the upcoming Test summer with a match haul of seven wickets.Victoria's victory was sealed before lunch on the fourth day, with Sam Elliott claiming the final four wickets, including the dismissal of Josh Philippe for a valiant 88. Elliott's 4 for 44 was complemented by Fergus O'Neill's player-of-the-match performance, which included figures of 4 for 29, 1 for 28, and crucial lower-order contributions of 28 and 33.Elliott's breakthrough came when Philippe edged a cut behind point, falling just 12 runs short of a century. Starc, who had earlier claimed 1 for 35 in the first innings, fell for 18 after top-edging a pull shot. Nathan Lyon also succumbed to the pull shot, miscuing to a fielder behind square leg. Elliott wrapped up the victory by clean bowling Jackson Bird.While the spotlight had been on Test hopefuls Marcus Harris and Sam Konstas, the post-match buzz centered around Starc's impressive display. NSW coach Greg Shipperd believes India will face a formidable challenge from Starc if conditions resemble those at the MCG."His pace, rhythm, and ability to engineer the sort of pace he was dealing with were exceptional," Shipperd said. "He changed the game when he decided to go short and really change the dynamic of the match. And in the second innings, we thought perhaps he'd done enough, but he kept coming. That's a good sign for Australia and troubles ahead, perhaps, on the right wicket for India."Victoria coach Chris Rogers praised his batting group's contributions in challenging conditions, highlighting the first-innings partnership between Campbell Kellaway and Peter Handscomb and the second-innings stand between Sam Harper and Tom Rogers as match-winning efforts in the face of Starc's barrage."For a 21-year-old kid [Kellaway] to get 50, along with Pete, that's right up there with some of the best batting I've seen him do," Rogers said. "That 100 was critical in us winning the game and having a first-innings lead.""And in the second innings, when they had us four for not many and Mitch Starc's got his tail up, we needed a couple of people to stand up, and two guys who were making names for themselves in Sammy Harper and Tommy Rogers played absolutely out of their skins, and that 130-run partnership was as good as I've seen from a partnership for a long time. Just absolutely fantastic."

New South Wales' hopes of victory in their Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria dwindled on day three as they were left chasing an improbable 383 runs with just four wickets in hand. Despite a valiant six-wicket haul from Mitchell Starc, the Blues were left reeling at 185 for 6 at stumps, still 197 runs adrift of their target.Sam Konstas, who had been touted as a potential Test debutant, failed to capitalize on his opportunity, scoring 43 before being dismissed by Todd Murphy. Steven Smith also fell cheaply, trapped lbw by Scott Boland for a duck.Josh Philippe provided some resistance with an unbeaten half-century, but the Blues' chase got off to a disastrous start as they lost four wickets for just 35 runs. Boland was the chief destroyer, claiming the scalps of Nic Maddinson, Smith, and Ollie Davies.Earlier in the day, Victoria had set the Blues a daunting target thanks to half-centuries from Sam Harper and Tom Rogers. Harper made 72 before holing out to wide fine leg, while Rogers scored 59 in his maiden first-class half-century.Starc was the standout performer for the Blues, finishing with figures of 6 for 81 from 17.5 overs. He dismissed both O'Neill and Murphy to complete his six-wicket haul, but the damage had already been done.With just one day remaining in the match, Victoria are firm favorites to secure victory. The Blues will need to produce a remarkable batting performance to pull off an unlikely win.

Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc will make their long-awaited returns to the Sheffield Shield this weekend as New South Wales takes on Victoria at the MCG. The match, starting Sunday, will serve as a crucial preparation for the upcoming international summer.Smith, who has been sidelined with a concussion since the Ashes, will be eager to prove his fitness ahead of the Test series against India. The former Australian captain last played a Shield match in February 2021.Starc, on the other hand, has not featured in the Shield since the 2020-21 final. The left-arm quick will be looking to regain his rhythm and build up his workload before the ODI series against Pakistan.Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will not play in the Shield match but are expected to feature in the One-Day Cup fixture against Victoria on October 25. Cummins is unlikely to play any red-ball cricket before the Test series against India, while Hazlewood's availability for the third round of Shield may be affected by the ODI series against Pakistan.Sean Abbott will also return for NSW after missing the opening round due to a minor injury. Nathan Lyon, who took eight wickets against South Australia, will again be a key figure for the Blues.Victoria is expected to include Scott Boland in their squad, setting up a fascinating contest with 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas. Konstas was called up to the Australia A squad earlier this week after scoring twin centuries against South Australia.Matthew Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, and Liam Hatcher have been dropped from the NSW squad that drew with South Australia in the opening round.

Victoria and Tasmania played out a tame draw on day four of their Sheffield Shield clash at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, with the lifeless pitch preventing any prospect of a result.Marcus Harris continued his impressive form with a second-innings 52, adding to his first-innings century. However, the lack of bounce and pace in the wicket made it impossible for Tasmania to take 10 wickets in the time remaining.Harris's innings was characterized by his trademark fluency, striking eight boundaries before nicking a full delivery from Kieran Elliott. Ash Chandrasinghe also impressed, scoring 44 before being bowled by Matt Kuhnemann.Victoria's second innings reached 120 for 2 off 52 overs, with Campbell Kellaway and Peter Handscomb remaining unbeaten. Tasmania had declared overnight with a 99-run lead, but the flat pitch made it clear that a result was unlikely.Despite the disappointing outcome, Harris was pleased with his performance. He revealed that he had spoken to Australia selector Tony Dodemaide about the possibility of playing for Australia A against India A in the upcoming weeks."He asked if I wanted to bat six and bowl seam up in the Test side," Harris joked. "He was just talking about the Aussie A stuff. I think that'll come out the next few days."Victoria coach Chris Rogers and Tasmania coach Jeff Vaughan expressed frustration at the lack of a result. They acknowledged the challenges of preparing a lively wicket early in the season, but Rogers admitted that the current surface was "not great for cricket."Vaughan echoed Rogers' sentiments, stating that it is "darn hard at this time of year to get high-quality result wickets."

Glenn Maxwell, the enigmatic Australian all-rounder, is set to make his long-awaited return to red-ball cricket in Cricket Australia's Second XI four-day competition. Maxwell has been named in Victoria's 12-man squad for the match against Queensland at the Junction Oval, starting on Monday.This marks Maxwell's first four-day match in over 12 months as he gears up for a potential Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year. However, it is unlikely that he will feature in Victoria's next Sheffield Shield match, which begins just three days after the Second XI game.Maxwell's inclusion in the Second XI squad is part of a carefully managed workload, given his history of injuries. The 36-year-old has played only two first-class matches in the last five years.Despite his limited red-ball experience, Maxwell remains a serious contender for Australia's Test tour of Sri Lanka. His experience in the subcontinent, where he played in the 2022 Sri Lanka tour, makes him a valuable asset.Maxwell's ability as a spin-bowling allrounder is seen as an advantage in the spinning conditions of Sri Lanka. All of his seven Test matches have been played on the subcontinent, with his last appearance coming in Bangladesh in 2017.While Shield cricket is not considered a direct indicator of Test performance in Sri Lanka, Maxwell's participation in the Second XI game is crucial for his physical conditioning.Victoria's Second XI squad also includes state captain Will Sutherland, who is returning from a serious back injury. Sutherland will bowl under restrictions in the match.

Tasmania's valiant fightback, led by captain Jordan Silk's unbeaten half-century, has kept them in contention against Victoria in their Sheffield Shield clash at the Junction Oval.After Victoria declared their first innings at 428 for 9, thanks to centuries from Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Perry's all-round performance put the hosts in a commanding position. Perry's unbeaten 58 and two wickets helped Victoria extend their lead to 227 runs.Tasmania's openers, Caleb Jewell and Jake Weatherald, started cautiously, but Perry's brilliance broke through, dismissing Jewell for 32. Charlie Wakim also fell cheaply, leaving Tasmania vulnerable at 80 for 3.However, Silk and Jake Doran steadied the ship with a 63-run partnership. Doran eventually departed for 33, but Silk remained resolute, guiding Tasmania past 200 alongside Beau Webster.Victoria's bowlers, led by Perry, tried various tactics to create chances, but Silk and Webster remained unyielding. The visitors reached stumps at 201 for 4, with Silk unbeaten on 50* and Webster on 28*.The new ball will be crucial on day three, as both sides aim to gain an advantage. Tasmania will need to continue their fightback and reduce the deficit, while Victoria will look to press home their advantage and secure a substantial lead.

Victoria's Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb have showcased their batting prowess with twin centuries against Tasmania on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield season. Harris, with 143 runs, and Handscomb, with 129 runs, put together a formidable 239-run partnership, propelling Victoria to a strong position of 330 for 7 at stumps.Harris, known for his affinity with the Junction Oval, displayed his class with a fluent innings, driving and cutting the ball with precision. Handscomb, continuing his impressive form from the county championship, provided a steady presence, allowing Harris to flourish.However, Tasmania's bowlers fought back late in the day, with Gabe Bell claiming three wickets, including Harris' dismissal. Beau Webster and Brad Hope also contributed with wickets, leaving the game evenly poised.Harris' century serves as a timely reminder of his Test credentials, with Cameron Green's availability for the upcoming series against India uncertain. Handscomb, while less likely to be considered for the Test series, has strengthened his case for a spot on the tour of Sri Lanka in January-February.The match highlights the depth of batting talent in Australia, with both Harris and Handscomb demonstrating their ability to score big runs in challenging conditions. As the Sheffield Shield season progresses, the competition for Test selection will intensify, and these performances will undoubtedly be closely monitored by the national selectors.

Victoria emerged victorious in a thrilling six-run victory over Queensland at the Junction Oval, thanks to a brilliant cameo from Michael Neser and some exceptional fielding.Chasing a modest target of 241, Queensland started strongly with Usman Khawaja and Ben McDermott putting on a 90-run opening stand. However, Test offspinner Todd Murphy turned the tide with a superb spell, dismissing McDermott and Josh Brown to break the partnership.Marcus Harris then produced a stunning one-handed catch to remove Matt Renshaw, while Peter Siddle picked up two wickets in the middle overs. Murphy struck again, claiming two more scalps to swing the game in Victoria's favor.Despite the setbacks, Neser kept Queensland in the hunt with a blistering 49 from 41 balls. He launched two massive sixes in the final over to bring the Bulls within seven runs of victory. However, Jono Merlo took an excellent catch at deep square to dismiss Neser and seal the win for Victoria.Earlier, Victoria had posted a competitive 240 for 7, thanks to a vital 63 from Marcus Harris. Will Sutherland and Sam Elliott added late-order heroics with a 63-run stand off the final 35 balls.Queensland's stand-in captain Mitchell Swepson praised Neser's efforts but acknowledged that the team fell short. Victoria's win moves them to the top of the One-Day Cup table, while Queensland departs Melbourne with just two points.