Abbott's six-wicket haul routs Queensland

NSW Blues allrounder Sean Abbott has gone some way to putting the darkness of the past two and a half weeks behind him by ripping through the my FootDr Queensland Bulls batting lineup and sealing what looked an unlikely victory for last year’s champions in their Bupa Sheffield Shield clash at the SCG.

Midway through the middle session Abbott had routed the Queensland middle order and had figures of 6-9 from a remarkable spell. The 22-year-old finished with 6-14 from his seven overs as Queensland were bowled out for 99 to give NSW victory by an innings and 78 runs.

The allrounder was, at one point, on a hat-trick after removing Chris Hartley and Cameron Brimblecombe with consecutive balls but missed out when Luke Feldman was able to keep out the next delivery.

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Abbott endured the toughest of preparations in the lead-up to the first Sheffield Shield round since the passing of Phillip Hughes, as he dealt with the passing of his former NSW teammate.

Hughes was hit by a short-pitch delivery from Abbott while batting for South Australia at the SCG on November 25. He died two days later in hospital with medical professionals describing his injuries as “freakish” and a “one-in-a-billion occurrence”.

As the cricket world grieved for Hughes’s passing, it also rallied around Abbott, with public sentiments of support added to the counselling offered by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, as well as his NSW Blues and Australia teammates.

Abbott received a standing ovation from the Member's Stand as he left the ground.

The achievement was also acknowledged at the Test match at the Adelaide Oval when David Warner, who was also at the SCG when Hughes was hit, applauded Abbott when his figures were shown on the scoreboard midway through the afternoon session on day four of the first Test.

Earlier in the day, Bulls leg-spinner Cameron Boyce had cleaned up the NSW innings to finish with 4-161.

The highlight of Boyce’s bowling was a sharply spun leg-break that ripped out of the rough and into the top of Ryan Carters’ off stump with the Blues opener just two runs shy of a maiden first-class double century.

A result looked unlikely going into the final day of a rain-affected Shield match after the Blues began the final day still in the middle on 6-386.

They were eventually dismissed during the middle session for 447 with a 179-run lead.

This victory sees NSW move above Queensland and out of last place on the Sheffield Shield table.

NSW captain Moises Henriques said there had never been a day like it in NSW cricket and put the win up there with the side's Sheffield Shield wins.

"It's something new. I said after last week 'As if this ground needs any more history than it already has'. In a strange way it just adds to how remarkable our game is, how bizarre this game is," he said.

"It's something extraordinary that happened on that cricket field. I don't have the words for it."

NSW coach Trevor Bayliss said Abbott had displayed the qualities of an international bowler with his performance and had no doubt he would one day add to his one ODI and three international Twenty20 appearances for Australia.

"On this afternoon's performance, he'll play more for Australia, I'm sure," he said.

While some questioned whether Abbott would ever take the field again in the wake of Hughes's death, Bayliss said the allrounder handled the situation better than some of his grieving teammates.

"I don't think there was any thought at all of him not playing this game and the fact that his name kept getting mentioned as the bowler (who felled Hughes) kept reminding him and everyone else about that incident," Bayliss said.

"It's just fantastic to see the smiles on their faces around that dressing room tonight."