JLT One-Day Cup: Queensland v Victoria at Townsville

[Hogg]

WILL Sutherland stole the show on the opening day of the domestic cricket-season, taking a five-wicket haul to steer Victoria to victory over Queensland — but only just after a remarkable bit of rearguard display from Mitchell Swepson with the bat.

Sent in to bat, Victoria was bowled out in 48.3 overs for 240.

It was a total that looked subpar at the halfway point but on a two-paced pitch in Townsville it proved 13 runs too many for Queensland, thanks largely to figures of 5-45 from Sutherland.

The tall right-arm quick, son of Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland, struck in the fourth over to immediately put the Bulls on the backfoot, having opener Sam Heazlett (7) caught at first slip in the fourth over. Three balls later he had Chris Lynn caught at point for a duck, spoiling the right-hander’s long awaited return to state duty.

By the time Sutherland completed his five-for, adding Charlie Hemphrey (14), Jack Wildermuth (0) and Lachlan Pfeffer (4) to his haul, the Bulls were teetering on the brink of disaster at 6-79. It was a hole the hosts threatened to climb out of thanks to a half-century from legspinner Swepson.

Walking out to batting at 7-104, Swepson hit nine boundaries in his 78-ball 77 to put Queensland right back in the contest. Cruelly, he was the last man out for the Bulls, caught off the bowling of Chris Tremain with the finish line in sight.

Earlier, Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson dragged Victoria out of the mire to post a competitive total. Told by Australia coach Justin Langer that he needs to make more centuries to be considered for Test selection, Maxwell failed to reach triple figures but still produced the game’s highest score – 80 – and put on a 101-run-stand with Maddinson (68), who also scored a half-century.

The pair resuscitated Victoria’s innings after the Bushrangers slumped to 4-66 in the first 14 overs. Having raced to 0-32 in the first three overs, Victoria lost both Marcus Harris (19) and Matt Short (9) to Steketee, before Billy Stanlake and Jack Wildermuth accounted for Peter Handscomb (0) and Cameron White (10).

White soaked up 35 balls for his 10 runs, and was struck by a Stanlake full toss near his shoulder early in his innings. His dismissal brought Maddinson to the middle and the newly signed batsman slowly went about rebuilding the innings with Maxwell — the pair batting out 31 overs together.

Maxwell’s dismissal triggered the team’s second batting collapse. Having hit eight fours and one six in his stay, Maxwell cut Steketee straight into the hands of deep third man to bring his 91-ball innings to an end in the 36th over. Three balls later Seb Gotch (0) chopped on against Steketee. When Sutherland was run out in the next over — the result of a moment’s miscommunication with Maddinson — Victoria had slid from 4-167 to 7-169.

Maddinson dragged Victoria past 200 from there, picking up the ante after Maxwell’s dismissal with two sixes before being stumped off the bowling of Mitch Swepson. Tailenders Tom O’Connell (12) and Chris Tremain (17 not out) both made what proved to be crucial contributions.