South Australia bowled out Victoria for 244, but they lost a gun recruit before stumps
Just as they did in last season’s final, South Australia have run through Victoria’s batting order on day one of a new Sheffield Shield season at Junction Oval.
Beginning their quest for a historic three-peat, a feat the state has never achieved in any domestic competition, SA restricted the Vics to 244, but they lost former Test opener Jake Weatherald before stumps.
In his first Shield game back with SA after leaving Tasmania, Weatherald fell without troubling the scorers to give 20-year-old first-class debutant Harry Hoekstra (1-2) his maiden wicket at the level.
“It probably still hasn’t kicked in to be honest,” Hoekstra said after play. “I’m still probably pinching myself a little bit.
“You’d take Jake Weatherald as your first first-class wicket any day of the week. The adrenaline’s probably still going a bit from when I was batting, so I was just lucky enough to take that through and bowled a decent enough ball there to get him out.”
Hoekstra, who remarkably top-scored for the Vics despite batting at No.9, was a shining light for Victoria in an otherwise unflattering day for the hosts on a seemingly flat and docile surface.
The left-arm quick made 45 runs off 122 balls before removing South Australia’s recruit.
The performance comes after he took five wickets in just his second One-Day Cup match for the state last month.
SA finished the day at 1-4 with Henry Hunt (2 not out) and Mackenzie Harvey (2 not out) at the crease.
After winning the toss, Test-capped quick Brendan Doggett (3-56) and Henry Thornton (3-51) each took three wickets for the visitors, while SA allrounder Noah McFadyen (2-35) impressed on first-class debut.
McFadyen, who earned his SA cap after claiming consecutive Bradman Medals in the state’s Premier Cricket competition, bowled 15 overs including eight-in-a-row to start his Shield career.
Campbell Kellaway (13) hit the first ball of the new season from Nathan McAndrew (0-56) through cover for four, but he picked out Jake Lehmann at square leg to give Doggett and SA their first wicket.
McFadyen claimed his maiden Shield scalp after drawing Marcus Harris (4) into a false drive that Lehmann once again pouched, this time at first slip.
The allrounder then trapped Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb (24) in his next over to leave them reeling at 3-46.
Ollie Peake (32) and Matt Short (31) attempted to resuscitate the Vics’ innings, putting together a 51-run stand before the latter fell to a short-ball trap from Thornton, giving Lehmann his third catch of the opening session.
Fresh off his first African tour with Australia’s ODI side, Peake hit six boundaries before shouldering arms to Thornton on the last ball before lunch, leaving his bails exposed and dislodged as Victoria entered the main break at 5-114.
Wicketkeeper batter Liam Blackford (27) showed signs of the form that saw him smash a record century on his One-Day Cup debut against Queensland.
In his first Shield fixture, Blackford and Fergus O’Neill (24) made it through the first hour of the middle session, but both batters were dismissed in the space of four balls to halt any momentum Victoria had gained.
South Australia captain Ben Manenti (1-30) removed O’Neill, before a special solo effort from McAndrew off his own bowling ended Blackford’s knock.
Thornton bowled Sam Elliott (3), as Hoekstra and Doug Warren (20) took Victoria to tea at 8-197.
The pair proved difficult to dismiss for the ninth wicket. Their 62-run partnership lasted more than 29 overs before Doggett trapped Warren in SA’s first over with the second new ball, with Hoekstra falling to the same bowler shortly after.