InMobi

Queensland claim dramatic win with seven balls left

Victoria's miserable Marsh Sheffield Shield season continues as Mitch Swepson's seventh scalp for the match seals tense final-hour victory

Reigning Marsh Sheffield Shield champions Victoria remain mired at the bottom of the ladder after Queensland scored a boilover win at the MCG.

Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson trapped Jon Holland lbw for a duck with seven balls left late on Friday to secure the 59-run win.

Holland and fellow tailender Chris Tremain (18 not out) had hung on grimly for nearly nine overs.

It is Victoria's third loss from four games, while Queensland are second on the ladder with two wins.

Victorian opener Eamonn Vines appeared hard done-by when he tried to evade a short ball down the leg side, but umpire John Ward gave him out for the second wicket.

The replay strongly suggested the ball had only brushed his shirt on the way through.

Then Queensland were adamant they had won the game when Tremain was caught at second slip off the bowling of debutant Blake Edwards with seven overs left.

Tremain did not budge and this time Ward ruled it had come off the pad.

"Thankfully, we were probably on the receiving end of a few of those decisions in a good way," said Queensland captain Jimmy Peirson..

"Umpires are human, there are mistakes, but there were quite a few in this game.

"I certainly wouldn't be laughing about it now (Tremain) if we didn't get the win."

Victoria, who have won four of the last five Shield titles, were well-placed after tea on day three when Queensland lost the seventh wicket in their second innings and only led by 89 runs.

But a stubborn 88-run partnership from captain Jimmy Peirson and fellow tailender Mark Steketee proved the counter punch that turned the game.

It took a sharp catch from Victorian captain Peter Handscomb at wide first slip off James Pattinson's bowling to remove Steketee on Friday morning for a top score of 52.

Peirson was unbeaten on 51 as Queensland were dismissed for 306 before lunch, setting up a run chase of 190 for Victoria.

After reaching 41 without loss, Victoria bled wickets amid rain delays and tight Queensland bowling.

Handscomb, who top-scored with 92 in the first innings, only made three when he attempted a pull shot off debutant Blake Edwards and chopped onto his stumps.

That left Victoria teetering at 3-52 and needing a massive partnership from Aaron Finch and teenage newcomer Jake Fraser-McGurk.

But Fraser-McGurk (19) and Finch (17) fell in quick succession and the home side were on the ropes at 5-85.

After his hat-trick in the first innings, Swepson snared 3-17 as opener Matt Short top-scored with 27.

"I was so impressed with how Sweppo bowled, he bowled brilliantly," Peirson said..

"I'm very, very proud of the performance of our team."

Peirson said it was the first time he had beaten Victoria at the MCG.

Victorian coach Lachie Stevens was left lamenting a poor batting performance on Friday.

"We just didn't quite get it right, did we?," Stevens said.

"It was a different batting line-up for us ... obviously the Handscomb wicket was big.

"From there, it became quite difficult."

Pattinson was a rare highlight for Victoria on Friday, taking two wickets to finish with 4-66 in the Queensland second innings.

The paceman was recalled to the Test squad on Thursday and he continues to put his shocking injury run behind him.

Pattinson shouldered a 48-over workload this week and took six wickets.

Fellow Test paceman Peter Siddle, who also dug in with Tremain for the eighth wicket, took 3-58 in the Queensland second innings.

Victoria XI: Eamonn Vines, Matt Short, Peter Handscomb (c), Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper (wk), Will Sutherland, James Pattinson, Chris Tremain, Peter Siddle, Jon Holland

Queensland XI: Matthew Renshaw, Bryce Street, Marnus Labuschagne, Charlie Hemphrey, Nathan McSweeney, Jack Wildermuth, Jimmy Pierson (c & wk), Cameron Gannon, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Blake Edwards