Cooper stands tall after second chance

South Australian batsman Tom Cooper has made the most of a last-gasp reprieve, cracking 178 to leave Queensland on the ropes in their JLT Sheffield Shield game in Adelaide.

The Redbacks are 4-382 at stumps on Friday's second day of play, holding a commanding 151-run lead over the Bulls.

Cooper hammered his 11th first-class century after being a last-minute inclusion for the match.

The 31-year-old had been dropped but was recalled when teammate Callum Ferguson was ruled out before the opening day's play because of a calf injury.

Cooper cashed in on his teammate's misfortune, smacking 22 fours and two sixes in his aggressive 246-ball knock.

"It's a funny game," Cooper said after play.

"It's a lot nice scoring runs out here, I was going to be shoveling a bit of mulch at home in the garden. That was what I was planning a couple of days ago.

"It's been an interesting week but it's always nice to be playing and to help get the team in a dominating position is extra nice."

Cooper was superbly supported by Jake Lehmann, who is unbeaten on 76, and opener Jake Weatherald, who made 69.

Cooper figured in a telling 107-run partnership with the highly-rated Weatherald, who was in good touch but failed to convert his promising start into a big hundred which could have raised his Test selection reckoning.

The left-handed Weatherald fell when nicking an attempted drive outside off stump from the bowling of Luke Feldman (1-55).

SA captain Travis Head put on 62 runs in a stand dominated by Cooper before he was caught behind for 16 from a Michael Neser (1-49) delivery.

Lehmann then joined Cooper and the pair scored freely in a 143-run union against a sagging Bulls bowling attack.

Lehmann struck eight fours and a six in his 111-ball innings as the Redbacks took a stranglehold on the game, with Cooper dismissed late in the day when edging a Brendan Doggett short-ball to the wicketkeeper.

Doggett was the only Bulls bowler to claim multiple wickets, taking 2-62 from 23 overs - he also dismissed opener Conor McInerney for 24.

South Australia: Jake Weatherald, Conor McInerney, Tom Cooper, Travis Head (c), Jake Lehmann, Tim Nielsen (wk), Cameron Valente, Joe Mennie, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Lloyd Pope.

Queensland: Matthew Renshaw, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Charlie Hemphrey, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth, Jimmy Peirson (c & wk), Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson, Luke Feldman, Brendan Doggett