Steketee's career-best keeps Queensland in the hunt

Left to lead Queensland's attack due to farewells and family commitments, Mark Steketee returned the best Sheffield Shield figures by any Bulls bowler at Adelaide Oval to haul his team back into their match against South Australia.

In the absence of regular partners in pace Brendan Doggett (relocated to Adelaide) and Michael Neser (returned to Brisbane for birth of his first child), and with fellow quicks Xavier Bartlett and Billy Stanlake absent through injury, Steketee carried the attack to claim a career-best 7-44.

His return – which included the crucial wicket of SA's in-form skipper Travis Head (55) in the first hour today – helped limit the Redbacks' first innings lead to 128, which had been further reduced by 63 for the loss of openers Joe Burns (2) and Bryce Street (23) by the close of day two.

Burns was disappointed to be adjudged lbw to a delivery that struck him high on the back leg, while Street fell to an atypical rush of blood when he top-edged a pull-shot off Daniel Worrall and the Bulls resume with star batters Marnus Labuschagne (22no) and Usman Khawaja (15no) at the wicket.

Khawaja, who appeared to tweak his left knee late in the day, survived a vehement appeal in the final over when a short ball from Nathan McAndrew seemingly flew from his glove to Daniel Worrall in the gully.

While Steketee's initial spell this morning - when he knocked over Head and obdurate SA opener Henry Hunt for a cost of 13 runs from six overs- was crucial, it was his effort with the second new-ball later in the day that prevented the Redbacks pushing even further ahead.

Bowling full and fast on a pitch that offered occasional movement but looping bounce to the seamers, Steketee was instrumental in Queensland claiming SA's final five wickets for 18 runs in the space of 58 deliveries with the second new-ball.

It was the sort of form he showed for Australia A last summer when he grabbed 5-37 against the Indians touring team at Drummoyne Oval prior to the Vodafone Test series, and which saw him named in Australia's Test squad for the ultimately postponed tour to South Africa earlier this year.

As he led his team from the field with SA dismissed for 280 on the stroke of tea, he was met with warm applause at the players' gate by former Bulls greats Andy Bichel and Ryan Harris, both of whom are among the recent cohort of Queensland pace men to claim a Shield seven-wicket haul.

"Those two have done everything," Steketee said of the ex-Test quicks turned members of the Queensland men's coaching set-up.

"They were great cricketers and they're even better coaches I reckon.

"They've really helped me out, especially Bic (Bichel) over the last three or four years since he's come into the bowling coach role.

"I've worked pretty closely with him just getting my action right and getting little things right to do this day, so it's probably more results for him as a coach as for me as a player.

"It's funny that I'm the senior man now, it happens quick.

'But obviously with Nes (Neser) not here there was a bit of hole, especially because I think he would have been an absolute nightmare to play on that wicket.

"So just doing my job really, trying to keep it tight and the wickets are a bonus."

Neither Bichel nor Harris can claim to have achieved it Adelaide Oval in maroon colours, with the previous best Bulls bowling at the historic venue being Len Johnson's 7-60 immediately after World War Two.

The most recent Queensland bowler to snare seven scalps at the ground was former SA and Adelaide Strikers bowling coach Joe Dawes (7-98 in 2001), who is currently working in federal politics but who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the vacant national selector's role.

Steketee's contribution was even more vital today given the other experienced member of Queensland's re-shaped pace attack, Jack Wildermuth, struggled for control in his two early appearances at the bowling crease today.

The pair began in tandem this morning when SA resumed at 2-89, and after Steketee removed Hunt who did not add to his overnight total – courtesy of a cracking delivery than angled in and nipped past the bat to clatter into off-stump – Wildermuth was worryingly profligate.

He was dispatched to the boundary four times in his first nine deliveries today by Head, who raced to a half-century from just 56 balls and appeared set for his third hundred in as many outings this summer.

But the Test aspirant fell softly to a ball from Steketee that appeared to hold up off the pitch, which he bunted tamely back to the bowler.

Having claimed 2-8 from his nine overs yesterday evening, Steketee followed up this morning with 2-13 from six overs, before Wildermuth returned and was immediately hit for three consecutive boundaries through the off-side by an ominously impressive Carey.

However, when the Australia ODI keeper steered an attempted pull shot to Usman Khawaja, who pulled down an overhead mark at forward square leg, the top-half of SA's batting was back in the sheds with a lead of just nine runs.

That's when an initially cautious but increasingly cavalier 101-run stand between Harry Nielsen (71) and Nathan McAndrew (39) for the sixth-wicket saw SA's lead extend into triple figures before the second new-ball arrived.

Nielsen was overlooked for SA's opening Marsh Sheffield Shield match of the summer against Western Australia, and was set to sit on the sidelines for this game with incumbent Jake Lehmann expected to retain his place at number six in the Redbacks order.

However, Lehmann withdrew from the 13-man squad on match eve due to the imminent arrival of his first child with partner Dani, and Nielsen seized his opportunity by posting the highest total of his team's innings.

Their famous fathers (Darren and Tim) might have played more than 50 first-class matches together for SA during the 1990s, but it's unlikely there's been a bigger favour bestowed between the Lehmann and Nielsen clans, with Harry Nielsen making a strong case for retention in the next Shield outing.

Since posting a career-high 114 against Queensland at Glenelg Oval a year ago, Nielsen has averaged almost 41 with the bat and will assume his usual role of wicketkeeper during the summer if Carey is included as skipper Tim Paine's back-up in Australia's expanded Ashes squad.

 

"It was just a matter of lucky timing," Nielsen said at day's end.

"Jake (and Dani) had a baby on the morning of day one, so he obviously missed and I was lucky enough to get a game.

"It was definitely difficult (missing out), but most players go through that at least once in their career so it was just a matter of fronting up again and making the most of the opportunities if I got one.

"Lucky enough, the way the world works, Jake missed and I was lucky enough to get a chance and I got a few runs, which was nice.

"We took a bit of a gamble at selection, batting Nathan (McAndrew) at seven and playing the extra bowler so he did a really good job to hang in there and get a lead of almost 130.

"I think the wicket's just getting better and better, it's not going to break up.

"Hopefully a little bit of that sideways movement calms down as the day goes on tomorrow and Monday.

"Anything under 200 we're comfortable chasing on the last day, but hopefully a lot less than that."