Bulls take innings points against Redbacks

Brutal Ben Cutting opened fresh wounds for South Australia with a batting assault which delivered Queensland innings points in their Sheffield Shield match.

Cutting’s onslaught was followed by spinner Nathan Hauritz taking two late wickets to reduce the Redbacks to 3-90 in their second innings, a lead of 86 runs at stumps on Thursday’s third day.

The South Australians were earlier deflated by Cutting, who denied the Redbacks their first Shield points in more than a year with a ruthless batting counterattack.

Despite centuries from Wade Townsend (129) and Joe Burns (116), Queensland slipped to 8-339 – some 63 runs behind the Redbacks’ first innings total.

But Cutting then ripped into SA bowlers, cracking four sixes and four boundaries in a whirlwind 62.

“That is just my game – if it comes off, it comes off,” said Cutting, who plundered 109 from only 78 balls against SA in the season-opening Shield game in Brisbane.

“I tend to get out if I play straight and try and be a batsman.”

Cutting’s rapid-fire knock ended when caught near the mid-off boundary with first innings scores level.

But Bulls’ No.11 Luke Feldman struck a cover drive to the boundary and Queensland promptly declared four runs ahead.

“We weren’t too fussed whether we got first innings points or not,” Cutting said.

“Six (points) is what we’re after.”

SA’s second innings began poorly when Test aspirant Hughes was dismissed in a fashion eerily familiar to what led to his axing from the Australian team last summer.

Shuffling back defensively, Hughes nicked to first slip from a delivery by James Hopes which left the batsman off the seam.

And spinner Hauritz’s late blows, dismissing Sam Miller (33) and Michael Klinger (40), gave the Bulls belief they can pull off a final day win.

“It will be very interesting to see how they set the game up for us, considering how they batted for the first hour or so – they took their time a little bit and weren’t as proactive as we were with the bat,” Cutting said.

“Whether that pays off for them is another thing.

“I think they are going to be pretty nervous going into tomorrow, particularly losing a couple of late wickets to spin.

“It’s pretty good signs for us.”

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