Head ascends run charts but SA blow starts

Travis Head surged to the top of the Marsh Sheffield Shield's run-scoring chart but missed out on becoming the first batter to four centuries this season, as South Australia's batters threw away a host of starts on day one of their dead-rubber clash against Victoria.

Head rode his luck on the way to 76 against a Victorian attack missing star paceman James Pattinson, with the Redbacks reaching 7-278 at stumps on Saturday at the Junction Oval.

The 27-year-old was dropped three times by the Vics in a frenzied six-over period after lunch but his supreme skill was on full display as he struck eight boundaries and a six to pass Cameron Green as the season's most prolific batter.

Head, who now has 877 runs at 73.08 including three hundreds, was out in the final session edging Will Sutherland, leaving him 23 short of becoming the first SA player in more than a decade to make 900 runs in a season.

His numbers are nonetheless impressive given the condensed eight-game season, and will not have gone unnoticed by national selectors after he lost his spot for the final Test of the summer.

Veteran spinner Jon Holland was the pick of the Victorian bowlers with 3-74 from 24 overs including the key scalps of Jake Weatherald (46) and Alex Carey (35).

The left-hander heavy Redbacks will rue their top-order's inability to make a big score on a good surface, with five of their top seven bats dismissed for scores between 26 and 46.

First-gamer Sam Kerber, SA’s third spin-bowling debutant to have been plucked out of Melbourne club cricket in the past month after Peter Hatzoglou and Joe Medew-Ewen, was unbeaten on 25 along with final-gamer Chadd Sayers, who announced his retirement this week, who was three not out.

The game between the bottom two placed sides is a dead rubber given neither team can make the Shield final.

Head had no hesitation in batting first this morning.

Following a 68-run opening stand, Todd Murphy, one of two Victoria debutants alongside batter James Seymour, needed just six balls to claim his maiden first-class cricket when Henry Hunt chopped on for 36.

First drop Liam Scott followed three balls later when Jon Holland bowled him with a delightful delivery that clipped off-stump.

Holland struck twice more after lunch to have Jake Weatherald out for a streaky 46 when he edged one to short leg, while Alex Carey was miffed to be given out off a ball that ballooned off his pad to keeper Sam Harper for an enterprising 51-ball 35.

Head counted his lucky stars as Sutherland, Murphy and Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb all put down chances off him, before his good fortune ran out when he played an awkward cross-bat shot and nicked behind to Sutherland, who celebrated exuberantly.

Harry Nielsen and Jake Lehmann failed to push on from promising beginnings, with both also edging balls delivered around the wicket from the Victorian seamers.