Bulls quicks put hosts in control of Shield final

Michael Neser and Jack Wildermuth schooled New South Wales' young batting line-up with a textbook opening-day bowling effort that put Queensland in a formidable position in the Marsh Sheffield Shield final.

Neser (5-27 off 13.2 overs) and Wildermuth (4-21 off 16) took all but one of the NSW wickets to fall in an eventful start to the clash, with the visitors folding for just 143 on a slow, seaming surface.

Bulls attack leader Neser dismissed three of the Blues' four top-order players still yet to turn 22 in a mesmerising spell capped off by a stunning Marnus Labuschagne catch.

It was the right-armer's first five-wicket haul of the Shield season and, with national selection chief Trevor Hohns watching on at Brisbane's Allan Border Field, only enhanced his reputation as the country's leading fast bowler without a Test cap.

 

Captain Usman Khawaja raved about Jack Wildermuth on match eve and the allrounder backed up the hype with a blistering second-session spell, taking 3-1 in 19 balls and was on a hat-trick after removing Mitchell Starc and Sean Abbott on the stroke of tea.

Labuschagne reeled in a stunning diving snare off a firmly-struck Josh Hazlewood drive to end the Blues innings on the lowest first-innings score in a Shield final since the last time these two sides met in the five-day decider in 2005.

Only stand-in skipper Kurtis Patterson, who scored 43 in a watchful 128-ball stay having earlier won the toss and elected to bat, offered any extended resistance for the Blues.

With Bulls reaching 1-58 by stumps on Wednesday, it left the home side in a strong position as they look to claim the Shield silverware for the first time in three years.

Mitchell Starc delivered a fearsome spell in the final session and continued his running battle with opener Bryce Street, striking him on the chest with vicious bouncer, but Joe Burns was the only victim of the hosts’ 25-over stint with the bat to end day one.

Burns edged behind off Hazlewood for 20.

Labuschagne, who was engaged in spirited discussions with Nathan Lyon for most of the final session, looked imperious in reaching 23 before the close of play and appears the danger man for NSW on day two.

The Blues nearly lost a wicket before they had scored a run in a nervy start to the match; openers Daniel Hughes and Matthew Gilkes hesitated on a quick single, but Xavier Bartlett narrowly missed the striker's end stumps.

The let-off cost NSW little as Gilkes left one from Neser that clattered into his off-stump.

Hughes and Patterson weathered testing spells from the relentless Bulls pace brigade, who sent down 33 consecutive dot balls and conceded just 15 runs during the opening hour.

Hughes offered a tough diving chance to keeper Jimmy Peirson on three but then was not so lucky on 19 when he edged behind again, and had to depart despite replays showing Wildermuth was millimetres away from overstepping for a no-ball.

Jason Sangha came and went in a blaze of boundaries, cracking 20 from his first 18 balls before top-edging an ill-judged pull shot off Neser, before fellow young gun Jack Edwards nicked off to the same bowler for a duck.

Of the four players in the Blues' top seven aged 21 or under, Sangha was the only one to reach double digits.

Patterson has had a lean Shield season with the bat but the former Test man batted with composure in a 128 knock and looked set to pass fifty for just the second time this summer before he joined the procession of Bulls to have edged behind.

Abbott was promoted to bat at six having averaged 75 in the Shield this season and while he looked the part when he effortlessly pulled Bartlett for six, his departure on the stroke of stumps sealed a horror second session for the Bulls.

Abbott had survived a reprieve on 13 when he edged Bartlett to second slip, with replays this time showing a no-ball had in fact been bowled.

It was the first time a batter has been recalled in that manner with this final the first to be played under recently-introduced playing conditions introduced by Cricket Australia. 

Queensland XI: Bryce Street, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja (c), Matthew Renshaw, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Jack Wildermuth, Michael Neser, Xavier Bartlett, Mitch Swepson, Brendan Doggett

NSW XI: Daniel Hughes, Matthew Gilkes, Kurtis Patterson (c), Jason Sangha, Jack Edwards, Sean Abbott, Baxter Holt (wk), Mitchell Starc, Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

2021 Marsh Sheffield Shield final

Queensland v NSW Blues at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, April 15-19. Play begins each morning at 9.30am AEST

Queensland squad: Usman Khawaja (c), Xavier Bartlett, Joe Burns, Brendan Doggett, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Bryce Street, Mitchell Swepson, Jack Wildermuth

NSW squad: Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Josh Hazlewood, Lachlan Hearne, Baxter Holt, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Peter Nevill, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Mitchell Starc

The 2021 Marsh Sheffield Shield final will be broadcast LIVE in Australia on Foxtel & Kayo Sports. ABC Grandstand's live radio coverage will also be available on cricket.com.au & the CA Live app. Viewers in NZ can watch via Sky Sport, while fans in other countries can stream via Facebook HERE