Henry Hunt scores a patient 81 while Ben Manenti adds a vital 53 as South Australia reach 295/9 on Day 1; Scott Boland and Todd Murphy claim three wickets each for Victoria.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

South Australia strengthened their push for a spot in the Sheffield Shield final after impressive half-centuries from Henry Hunt and Ben Manenti on the opening day against Victoria at Junction Oval in Melbourne. After being sent in to bat on a solid batting surface, South Australia ended Day 1 at 295 for 9, setting up a competitive first-innings total.

Henry Hunt anchored the innings with a composed knock of 81 runs from 170 deliveries, hitting 12 boundaries. Despite facing some disciplined bowling early on, Hunt showed patience and resilience to hold the innings together. Victoria’s Scott Boland once again delivered a strong performance with the ball, claiming 3 for 66, while off-spinner Todd Murphy impressed with figures of 3 for 60 in 23 overs.

Murphy troubled Hunt several times during his spell. Hunt survived a dropped catch at short leg when he was on 46 and also escaped a close lbw appeal against Mitch Perry. However, Murphy eventually dismissed him lbw after a delivery skidded through. Hunt’s innings was crucial in stabilizing the South Australian batting order after early wickets.

Victoria’s bowling attack had moments of dominance throughout the day. Mackenzie Harvey fell early against Boland’s accurate new-ball spell. Nathan McSweeney showed determination during his innings of 23 but was dismissed after top-edging a short ball from Perry, with Boland taking a sharp sliding catch near the boundary.

Todd Murphy continued to trouble the middle order after lunch. Jason Sangha was dismissed after edging a turning delivery to short leg, while Alex Carey struggled to settle against the off-spinner. Carey managed 38 runs off 70 balls and shared a valuable 74-run partnership with Hunt before miscuing a lofted shot to Sam Elliott at mid-on.

South Australia’s innings briefly lost momentum when they slipped to 191 for 6 after Boland bowled Jake Lehmann with a delivery that jagged back sharply. However, Ben Manenti and Liam Scott rebuilt the innings with a crucial 77-run partnership, taking advantage of the older ball.

Scott contributed a steady 38 before edging a cut shot off Perry, while Manenti continued to score confidently. The all-rounder reached his half-century to applause from his teammates, marking his first fifty since his memorable innings for Italy in the T20 World Cup. His knock of 53 came to an end when Boland produced a superb delivery that angled in before moving away to catch the outside edge.

With the second new ball taken late in the day, Victoria managed to wrap up the tail but South Australia still finished with a respectable 295 on the board.

The match carries major significance in the Sheffield Shield standings. South Australia need a victory to guarantee their place in the final against Victoria at the same venue on March 26. Meanwhile, Queensland remain in contention and must defeat Tasmania while securing enough bonus points to overtake South Australia if Victoria win this match.