Sam Konstas played his trademark ramp late on day three after Matt Renshaw put the pressure on with a ton earlier
Match Report: Queensland win by 188 runs
ScorecardRenshaw ton puts Bulls in strong position against NSW
Video Player is loading.
A dominant partnership between Matt Renshaw and Jack Clayton has put Queensland firmly into the driver's seat in their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales at the Gabba.
Renshaw (125no) and Clayton (76 retired hurt) batted superbly through the middle session and were unbeaten in their 143-run partnership that pushed the home side's advantage beyond 400 runs.
Bulls captain Mitch Swepson declared with 45 minutes left in the day, after which Michael Neser struck in his first over, clean bowling Nic Maddinson who opted to shoulder arms to an in-swinger.
Teenage dynamo Sam Konstas (9no) and nightwatchman Ross Pawson (1no) safely guided NSW to stumps, but not before Konstas pulled off a now trademark reverse ramp off the bowling of Xavier Bartlett.
Earlier, Renshaw reached his 23rd first-class century off 157 balls with a delicate flick off his hip that raced across the Gabba outfield and beat the wide fine leg to the rope.
Renshaw took off his helmet and pointed his Gray-Nicolls bat in the direction of his delighted wife and daughter, who watched his whole innings from the front row of the grandstand.
Video Player is loading.
It's Renshaw's second ton of the Shield campaign following his 121 against Tasmania in November, and the tall opener credited a simplified approach to his recent batting success.
"I had a few really good conversations with people close to me, and it was about 'how do you want to play?'," Renshaw said at stumps on day three.
"I want to be up and about. I want to have some fun.
"I want to hit the ball if it needs to be hit. I want to leave the ball if it needs to be left.
"And I think that's just as simple as it needs to be."
Renshaw said he was in awe of his batting partner and new Bulls No.3 Clayton, who scored freely on balls wide of his off-stump with one cover drive, executed on one knee, particularly eye-catching.
The only times Clayton looked troubled were by a couple of deliveries that collected him in the abdominal protector, leaving him lying prone on the Gabba pitch for several minutes.
Unfortunately, the 25-year-old's innings came to an abrupt end when the flashy left-hander was forced to retire hurt right on the cusp of the tea break.
.@liaml4893 #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/BllRmStp4F
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 10, 2025
After knocking off-spinner Chris Green into the gap, Clayton returned for a tight second run and after passing the popping crease pulled up short and clutched at his right hamstring, later deemed to be a "low-grade injury" according to the Bulls camp.
A couple of minutes of treatment followed before Clayton made the decision to end his innings prematurely, an agonising 24 runs short of hitting a second century of the match after his 134 in the first dig.
Video Player is loading.
The hosts' lead, which stood at 277 at tea, quickly ballooned out to over 400 as Jimmy Peirson (44no) joined Renshaw with the licence to hit.
Earlier, Queensland were able to knock off the final three wickets of NSW's innings fairly quickly in the morning session, conceding only 22 runs in 11 overs.
The Bulls were able to take the new ball after 10 overs and with it, Neser produced an unplayable delivery to clean bowl Pawson, his 250th wicket in the Sheffield Shield.
Oh yeah, Michael Neser is back bowling Michael Neser seeds 😘#SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/ZzuKHZZ6we
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 10, 2025
"He is the best, I'm very glad I don't open the batting against him," Renshaw said of his veteran teammate Neser, whose average of 24.41 with the ball is among the best in the competition's long history.
"He bowls the best first ball in cricket, I think.
"Marnus (Labuschagne) has a stat about how many times he's got people out first ball and wickets in his first over.
"So very grateful I don't have to face him."
Perhaps this is the statistic Labuschagne was referring to: Since the start of the 2022-23 Sheffield Shield season, Neser has taken nine wickets in the opening over of the innings (including Maddinson today), while the next best in the competition is three.
Sheffield Shield standings 2024-25
| Team | M | W | L | D | N/R | Ded. | Bat | Bowl | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
SA
|
10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7.61 | 9 | 55.61 |
|
2
QLD
|
10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9.06 | 8.7 | 39.76 |
|
3
VIC
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.19 | 9.3 | 39.49 |
|
4
NSW
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6.99 | 8.4 | 36.39 |
|
5
TAS
|
10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7.72 | 8.2 | 35.92 |
|
6
WA
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5.83 | 8.6 | 35.43 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points