Several high profile Australia Test stars were in action in the second round of the Sheffield Shield, as their preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next month ramp up.
The Australian domestic first-class competition got underway earlier this month, with Western Australia looking to defend their title. The second round of the competition this week saw multiple Test stars hit their strides as the build-up to the series against India begins in earnest.
India will play five Tests in Australia, starting at the end of November, as they look to extend their hold of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after they won their last two series in Australia. Australia haven't played a Test match for almost eight months, after they beat New Zealand in March of this year. There is at least one spot yet to be decided in Australia's starting XI for the series, with Cameron Green set to sit out with injury and Steve Smith moving back down into the middle order. There's a chance for several names to press their case for the opener spot in the next few rounds of the Sheffield Shield before the squad is selected.
Sheffield Shield, Round Two updates
New South Wales v Victoria
Smith, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were all in action for New South Wales against Victoria, who's lineup featured Scott Boland and discarded Test opener Marcus Harris.
Starc was the star of the show, taking 1-35 in 19 overs in the first innings before cleaning up with six-for in the second. Harris was one of his victims, caught behind for his second failure of the match, while Starc finished with figures of 6-81. Lyon took a wicket in each innings but it wasn't enough to prevent New South Wales from slumping to a defeat. Smith was out for three in the first innings and a duck in the second, trapped lbw by Boland, as Victoria won by 141 runs.
Queensland v South Australia
Usman Khawaja also struggled to get going for Queensland against South Australia. He was out for a duck in the first innings, pinned lbw by Nathan McAndrew, before being dismissed for 39 in the second. Marnus Labuschagne also struggled for Queensland, dismissed in both innings after starts (22 and 10), while Matt Renshaw (2 and 21) completed quiet weeks for all of the Queensland top order.
South Australia's win, however, was secured by a second-innings century from Alex Carey. He scored an unbeaten 123 off 163 balls having also made 42 in the first innings, taking South Australia to an unassailable lead.
Western Australia v Tasmania
In the final game of the round, Mitchell Marsh was out for two single-digit scores after his 94 in Western Australia's opening game. He was dismissed for six by Kieran Elliot in a nervy fourth-innings run chase, which saw Western Australia slip to 18-4 before Hilton Cartwright and Josh Inglis came together to chase down the 83 runs they required to win against Tasmania. Opener Cameron Bancroft had a difficult outing, scoring 8 and 2 across the two innings.
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