Cameron Gannon dismisses Labuschagne and Khawaja as Queensland slump to 37/3 at stumps despite Sam Fanning’s 62 for Western Australia.

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Veteran seamer Cameron Gannon delivered a crucial late spell to swing momentum towards Western Australia on the opening day of their Sheffield Shield clash against Queensland at Allan Border Field.

After being bowled out for 210, Western Australia struck back with the ball as Gannon’s impressive figures of 3 for 26 in six overs left Queensland struggling at 37 for 3 at stumps on day one.

Queensland’s innings got off to a shaky start when opener Hugo Burdon became Gannon’s first victim, edging a delivery to third slip. The trouble deepened quickly as Marnus Labuschagne fell soon after, caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who pulled off a stunning diving catch.

Gannon struck again late in the day when veteran batter Usman Khawaja glanced a delivery down the leg side, only for Inglis to complete another sharp one-handed catch behind the stumps. By the end of the day’s play, Matt Renshaw and Hugh Weibgen remained unbeaten, but Queensland face a challenging task when play resumes.

Earlier in the day, Western Australia’s batting struggled to build momentum after winning the toss and opting to bat first. Sam Fanning was the standout performer, scoring a patient 62 off 132 balls before spooning a return catch to Jem Ryan.

Lower-order batter Joel Paris contributed 38 off 105 balls, providing valuable resistance, while Inglis added a quick 32 off 33 deliveries before falling while attempting a reverse ramp against seamer Jack Wildermuth.

WA had earlier slipped to 25 for 2, with Cameron Bancroft edging Ryan behind and Sam Whiteman dismissed for a nine-ball duck.

Young all-rounder Cooper Connolly also struggled again, managing just 10 runs before edging part-time spinner Matt Renshaw to slip. The dismissal extended Connolly’s difficult run of form, with the youngster registering only a handful of runs across his last several innings in all formats.

Queensland currently sit second on the Sheffield Shield table, and anything less than a victory against the last-placed Western Australia could significantly dent their chances of reaching the final. With Queensland already three wickets down, Western Australia will look to press their advantage when play continues on Friday.