Concussed Finch subbed out of Shield clash

Australia's limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has been substituted out of Victoria's Marsh Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales after being struck in the helmet and suffering delayed concussion at the MCG on Saturday.

Finch was fielding at short leg when tail-ender Steve O'Keefe flicked a James Pattinson delivery straight into his helmet during the second day's opening session.

While Finch continued fielding in close after being assessed by doctor Trevor James, Cricket Victoria say he experienced delayed concussion symptoms during the lunch break

"When he (Finch) first got hit it was nothing and he was fine, but he chased a ball and the headaches started to kic in from there," Victoria captain Peter Handscomb said after the day's play.

"It is a solid whack when you are a metre from the bat and it gets middled straight into your grill, so he has done well to walk off the ground."

Travis Dean, who Victoria have replaced Finch with in their XI, was batting for his Premier Cricket side Footscray at Windy Hill in Melbourne's north-west when he was told he needed to retire his innings and drive to the MCG.

The concussion substitute rule has been in place in the Sheffield Shield since the 2017-18 season and was introduced into international cricket earlier this year, with Marnus Labuschagne becoming Test cricket's first replacement player when Steve Smith was concussed during the Ashes. 

Half-centuries to Sean Abbott and Peter Nevill helped the Blues to a first-innings total of 294 shortly before lunch on day two.

The sides returned for one Trent Copeland over before lunch following the innings break, with Marcus Harris (0no) and Nic Maddinson (1no) resuming at 0-1 in Saturday's second session.

Having been sent in by Victorian skipper Peter Handscomb on Friday, NSW had slumped to 5-114 on day one, but Abbott and Nevill combined to guide their side to 6-223 at stumps.

Their seventh-wicket partnership of 93 runs ended when Test quick James Pattinson removed Abbott for 54, with Nevill departing for 50 in the next over.

On a recast MCG wicket that is showing more signs of life than it has in recent times, Peter Siddle and Pattinson were the pick of the bowlers in NSW's first dig.

Siddle finished with figures of 3-52 from 26 overs, including seven maidens, and Pattinson 3-62 from 28 (six maidens).

The Vics are attempting to climb off the bottom of the Sheffield Shield table with a first win of the season, while the top-of-the-table Blues are aiming to make it five wins from five games.

- with AAP