Bulls skipper's first fifty of the Shield season keeps visitors afloat against top-placed NSW
Match Report:
ScorecardKhawaja holds key as Blues close in
Dropped Test batsman Usman Khawaja has battled his way back into form with a fighting half century, but NSW are on course to beat his Queensland team at the SCG.
The Bulls finished day three of the Marsh Sheffield Shield game on 5-111 in their second innings, still needing another 24 to make the Blues bat again.
Queensland captain Khawaja, who had scored just 81 runs at an average of 11.57 from his seven previous Shield innings this season, notched his highest first-class score of the campaign, finishing the day on 53 not out.
He has faced 113 balls in his defiant 168-minute innings, striking four boundaries, since starting his innings before tea.
Good areas from Blues debutant Liam Hatcher! But not one Matthew Renshaw will want to see again 🙈@MarshGlobal | #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/kQLrvK3JVD%E2%80%94 cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2019
No other Bulls batter made more than 17, as Sheffield Shield ladder NSW closed in on a fifth outright win in six games.
The second-placed Bulls trailed by 135 on first innings after dismissing the Blues for 375 in mid-afternoon.
Test squad pacemen Michael Neser ripped out the bottom half of the NSW order by taking 4-8 in 29 balls to finish with 4-68 off 30.5 overs.
STEPHEN O'KEEFE'S GOT A RUN OUT ON HIS BIRTHDAY!!!!! And it was a beauty 👌 #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/OPRfd2Hfqh%E2%80%94 cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2019
NSW captain Peter Nevill and Sean Abbott batted throughout the first session on Monday to ensure NSW would enjoy a healthy lead.
But the innings folded quickly with NSW losing 5-22 after their sixth-wicket stand of 159 was broken.
Abbott was caught pulling a delivery from Neser and fell for his first-class highest score of 86 and Nevill finished 88 not out.
Queensland's second innings got off to a bad start with Blues veteran Stephen O'Keefe marking his 35th birthday by running out Bryce Street with a direct hit from midwicket before tea,
The Blues claimed four more wickets in the final session, all of them taken by a different bowler.
NSW Blues: Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Daniel Solway, Moises Henriques, Matthew Gilkes, Peter Nevill (c & wk), Sean Abbott, Steve O’Keefe, Trent Copeland, Harry Conway, Liam Hatcher
Queensland: Bryce Street, Matthew Renshaw, Usman Khawaja (c), Sam Heazlett, Charlie Hemphrey, Jimmy Peirson (c & wk), Jack Wildermuth, Michael Neser, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Billy Stanlake