Boland triggers NSW collapse

A top order unable to cash in and Scott Boland’s career-best figures meant NSW finished 8-266 on day one of their season-opening Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria.

Boland snared 6-49 from 22 overs at the MCG, where a topsy-turvy Friday finished with the 25-year-old collecting his maiden Shield five-wicket haul.

Boland, who kept it tight all day, was most destructive with the second new ball when he snared 4-15 in a five-over spell.

Kurtis Patterson and Scott Henry shared a fluent 99-run stand, while Ben Rohrer top-scored with 70 for the visitors.

But the half-centurions were unable to convert their starts into tons, much to the pleasure of Bushrangers captain Matthew Wade who sent the visitors in.

Boland was largely the difference as the sides battled for ascendancy.

Debutant Nick Larkin and Ryan Carters had batted sensibly and looked relatively comfortable seeing off the new ball, but Boland dismissed both to reduce NSW to 2-30 early in the morning session.

Henry (63) and Patterson (53) fought back and upped their side’s run-rate after lunch, with the hosts needing an incredible piece of fielding to end the partnership.

First slip David Hussey plucked a spectacular one-handed catch to remove Patterson late in the second session and leave the game in the balance at tea, when the Blues were 3-149.

Legspinner Fawad Ahmed dismissed both Patterson and Henry, clean bowling the latter after the break with a short ball the No.3 batsman had intended to dispatch to the leg-side fence.

Boland rattled Rohrer’s stumps, triggering a final-hour collapse as NSW lurched from 4-234 to 8-252.

Captain Peter Nevill (32) and Will Somerville (seven) will resume on Saturday, the latter surviving a confident appeal on the final ball of the day.

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