Cricket

Victoria captain Will Sutherland has confirmed that star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will be available for a limited number of Sheffield Shield matches early in the upcoming season. Maxwell, who turns 36 in October, is currently in England with Australia's ODI team and has not played a Shield match for Victoria since February 2023.Maxwell's availability is a boost for Victoria, who are keen to have him play some red-ball cricket before Australia's Test tour to Sri Lanka in January and February next year. Maxwell was part of the Sri Lanka tour in 2022 and nearly played the first Test in Galle, with his ability as a spin-bowling allrounder seen as an asset in spinning conditions.However, Maxwell's availability will be limited due to his commitments to Australia's ODI and T20I series against Pakistan in November. He will also be unavailable for the first Shield game of the summer against Tasmania as he slowly builds up off a knee issue.Victoria are also unlikely to have Australia fast bowler Scott Boland available for the first Shield game, but he is set to be unleashed in the game against NSW at the MCG. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Steven Smith are all a chance to play for the Blues in that match.Sutherland himself will be on bowling restrictions during the start of the Shield season coming off a stress fracture in his back. He bowled six overs and made 36 not out in Victoria's opening One-Day Cup win over Tasmania on Monday in Melbourne and will bowl again in Friday's One-Day Cup game against Queensland.One man who won't be part of Victoria's Shield team at the start of the season is Will Pucovski. The one-Test opener has not been training with the group and is set to finish his playing career after a medical panel advised he not continue due to the repeated concussions that he has suffered.

Victoria's Sam Elliott etched his name into Australian One-Day domestic cricket history with a remarkable performance against Tasmania in Melbourne. Elliott's devastating spell of 7 for 12, the second-best figures in the competition's history, propelled Victoria to a thrilling four-wicket victory.On a challenging pitch at the Junction Oval, Elliott wreaked havoc on Tasmania's batting lineup. His extra bounce and late seam movement proved too much for the visitors, who were dismissed for a paltry 126. Elliott's victims included Jordan Silk, Jake Weatherald, and Brad Hope, all of whom were caught behind.Victoria's chase got off to a shaky start, losing six wickets for 72 runs. However, Elliott and skipper Will Sutherland combined for an unbeaten 56-run partnership to guide their side to victory. Elliott's 19 not out included some impressive pull shots, while Sutherland contributed a composed 36 not out.Earlier, Tasmania's innings had been hampered by the early dismissals of Mitch Own and Caleb Jewell. Elliott's introduction into the attack proved disastrous for the visitors, who lost their middle order in quick succession. Matthew Kuhnemann and Gabe Bell's 34-run partnership for the 10th wicket provided some consolation for Tasmania.Victoria's victory was a testament to Elliott's exceptional bowling performance and the resilience of Sutherland and Elliott's partnership. The result leaves Victoria with a 1-0 lead in the One-Day Cup series against Tasmania.

Western Australia's hopes of reaching the Sheffield Shield final have been boosted by the return of allrounder Aaron Hardie, who has been cleared to play in the crucial clash against Victoria in Melbourne from Monday.Hardie, who has been sidelined with a minor calf injury since facing Tasmania in Hobart in mid-February, has been passed fit and will bolster WA's lineup for the winner-takes-all match. The winner of the Victoria-WA clash will face Tasmania in the final.Ashton Agar has also been included in WA's squad as they cover all bases for the conditions they could face at Junction Oval. If Agar plays, it would be his first first-class match since the SCG Test against South Africa early last year.Agar has slipped down WA's red-ball pecking order behind offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who has been one of their standout bowlers this season with 37 wickets at 30.21. Agar has also fallen down Australia's white-ball hierarchy after being ruled out of the ODI World Cup through injury.Victoria have been boosted by the availability of Scott Boland, who has been released from Australia's Test squad in New Zealand. Boland has made five appearances for Victoria this season, taking 26 wickets at 16.50.There remains a slim chance that WA could still host the Shield final in Perth if Tasmania lose to South Australia and don't gain 0.14 more first-innings bonus points than them.In the Sheffield Shield, teams get six points for an outright win, one point for a draw, plus 0.01 of a bonus point for every run over 200 they score during the first 100 overs of their first innings and 0.1 of a bonus point for every wicket a team takes during the first 100 overs of their opponent's first innings.If Victoria-Western Australia finished in a draw, there is an outside possibility of New South Wales sneaking into the final, although they would need a huge amount of bonus points against Queensland.

Tasmania's Sheffield Shield title hopes received a major boost as they secured a thrilling 57-run victory over Victoria in Hobart. The win puts them in prime position to host the final for the first time in six years.Tasmania's triumph was built on a brilliant second-innings performance, with Beau Webster's unbeaten 167 proving pivotal. The allrounder's knock helped the hosts post a formidable 307, setting Victoria a challenging target of 442.Victoria's chase got off to a promising start, with Marcus Harris (76) and Peter Handscomb (71) putting on a century partnership. However, Tasmania's bowlers fought back, with Gabe Bell (4-21) and Iain Carlisle (4-58) leading the charge.The visitors suffered a crucial collapse on Sunday, losing four wickets for just 25 runs. This proved to be the turning point of the match, as Victoria's hopes of chasing down the total evaporated.Bell's dismissal of Victoria captain Will Sutherland in the first over of the final day set the tone for the morning session. Carlisle then wrapped up the match by removing Peter Siddle, sparking jubilant celebrations among the Tasmanian players.Webster's match-winning innings was a testament to his resilience and skill. The 26-year-old has been in impressive form throughout the season and his latest performance has further enhanced his reputation as one of Australia's most promising young batsmen.Tasmania's victory sets up an intriguing final-round clash with South Australia. A win or draw against the Redbacks will secure their place in the decider, while even a defeat could potentially see them through.Victoria's hopes of reaching the final are still alive, but they will need to overcome Western Australia in their final match. However, they will be without Will Pucovski, who suffered his 12th concussion after being hit on the helmet on Sunday.