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Steve Smith’s exam preparations go from bad to worse as NSW suffer defeat at the hands of the Vics.

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Steve Smith’s exam preparations go from bad to worse as NSW suffer defeat at the hands of the Vics.



With a huge Test series against India around the corner, Steve Smith’s form with the bat must be a concern for the Australian team after another setback in his last Sheffield Shield game before the Border-Gavaskar series.

The former Australian captain failed to score after his disappointing first-innings score of just three, which was dismissed for a duck by Australian Test teammate Scott Boland on day three of the match against Victoria.

It is unlikely that he will play another game in the home red-ball format as the Australians are set to select him for the One Day International series against Pakistan ahead of the Tests.

The New South Wales man got four hands on his shoulders and bowled the ball full, thinking the ball had gone through the off stumps, but it hit him on the pads and the umpire gave him away.

He lasted just four balls in the second innings after being dismissed for three off 29 balls earlier in the match.

The Australians appear poised to move him back to his former No. 4 position, ending the experiment as Test opener following the departure of David Warner. He averaged just 28.5 points last summer, well below his career numbers of 67.07 at first, 61.5 at fourth and 57.18 at fifth.

Smith’s form summed up NSW’s performance as a whole. After winning the toss, they decided to bowl as Victoria had scored 272 and were leading by 136 after the first innings. Going into the last chance, New South Wales’ lead had increased to 382 and there could not have been a worse start.

Having lost 1-20 to Nick Maddinson, Smith soon followed him up a little over a half later. Two more wickets fell as NSW fell to 4–43 at the tea break and still needed 340 runs.

Marnus’ bowling antics will do little to stop the Redbacks

South Australia started the second innings with a six-run lead over the Bulls, but the energetic Marnus Labuschagne was the best batsman, even if he didn’t have any wickets to show for it.

Coming into twelfth place with a score of 1-38, he reached the lunch break on a rollercoaster ride.

From screaming in frustration to running impatiently after hitting the pitch to prevent a single, the Queensland captain was left with his hands on his hips more than once as his lbw appeals were rejected by the umpires. He bowled eight overs with figures of 0-28.

Nathan McSweeney’s afternoon half-century helped the Redbacks take a lead of over 200 at tea, trailing by just four wickets, with teammate Alex Carey approaching the same milestone.

Western Australia takes lead against Tasmania

The Warriors would take the lead in the second innings thanks to a century from Josh Inglis.

Chasing Tasmania’s first innings total of 277, Inglis made 101 before falling behind the bowling of Beau Webster.

Hilton Cartwright scored 65 and Cooper Connolly 55 to help Western Australia reach 8-300 at lunchtime with a 23-run lead.

With two wickets needed by South Australia, Kieran Elliott was the best of the bowlers with 3–52 from 23 overs, while Riley Meredith and Webster had two wickets each.