Holland, O'Keefe set for SCG spin shootout

Victoria’s Jon Holland will have the chance to verify Cameron White’s claim he is Australia’s leading left-arm spinner when he goes to head-to-head with fellow tweaker Steve O’Keefe in the next round of the Sheffield Shield.

O’Keefe and Holland each completed eight-wicket match hauls on Sunday in the second round of Shield matches, and the latter’s performance in Victoria’s comprehensive innings win over Queensland prompted White to make a bold declaration.

“If (national selectors) are looking for a left-arm orthodox, he’s the best one in the country,” he said of Holland, who took 4-32 and 4-46 against the Bulls.

“Nathan Lyon has a great record and he’d be pretty hard to displace but at some stage along the line they’re looking to mix it up for a different option, Jon’s in a great place at the moment.”

“To get eight wickets in the match, that’s a great effort. He’ll be excited about going to go play in Sydney.

“If the Australian selectors want to make a change at some point, he’s got to be at the front of their minds. He’s doing all he can do at the moment, he keeps taking wickets and bowling well.

“He’s played a couple of games of Test cricket but he’s ready for more.”

LIVE: Blues on verge of victory over WA

Holland made his Test debut on Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in August after O’Keefe suffered a tour-ending injury in Australia’s first Test against Sri Lanka.

The Victorian took five wickets at 54.80 in his first two international outings alongside first-choice spinner Nathan Lyon in the second and third Tests of the tour. O’Keefe took three scalps in the first Test before flying home with a hamstring strain.

After returning from Sri Lanka, O’Keefe’s injury woes worsened when he was ruled out of NSW’s Matador BBQs One-Day Cup campaign after hurting his finger in a club match.

But he returned in style on Friday, claiming a 5-65 and 3-41 in NSW’s Shield clash with Western Australia on a turning SCG pitch.

Quick Single: 'I stuffed up and he let me know about it': O'Keefe

"I couldn't have asked for too much more, getting a five-fer in your return game, so I'm pretty happy about that," O'Keefe said after his first-day haul.

"In previous years there's been a lot more grass on (the SCG pitch) so it's favoured, I think, probably more of the fast bowlers in my history here," he continued.

"Today it was definitely a little bit drier - that's because of the AFL (season). It's got a little bit of character to it, a bit of spin, which is great.

"Did it surprise me? If it looks that dry, then you are going to get some spin out of it."

NSW’s selection of Will Somerville alongside O’Keefe paid off with the right-arm offie collecting nine scalps for the match, and 23 of the 30 wickets to fall at the SCG so far have been taken by spinners.

The Blues host traditional rivals Victoria in the next round of Shield games beginning November 17, a match that could again dominated by the slow-bowlers, according to White.

“We’re going to the SCG next game and watching an old-fashioned, turning, spinning wicket there is great to see,” the 33-year-old said.

“That’s the uniqueness of the wickets around the country, that’s the way it should be. That’s going to be a fun game to play in.”

Quick Single: Maxwell admits shock at Shield snub

White forecasted Victoria’s selectors would again be faced with a number of tough calls for their next fixture.

Glenn Maxwell, named 12^th man for Victoria’s Shield opener against Tasmania, returned to the side for their win over Queensland at the expense of Australia limited-overs teammate Aaron Finch.

Maxwell posted 80 in Victoria’s first-innings to almost certainly cement his spot, and White expects leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, who’s claimed 75 wickets over the past two Shield seasons, to come into contention if they’re presented with another dry SCG track.

“Just looking at the pitch (for the NSW-WA match), you don’t have to be a genius to work out that both teams are playing two spinners,” he said.

“At lunchtime on day one, (we were) looking at the highlights and there were massive footmarks and it was spinning square.

“The selectors will have a bit of work to do there to find out the right balance.”