NSW captain Stephen O’Keefe strengthened his case to be the bolter on next month’s Test tour of India, as his teammates helped justify his decision to send Western Australia in to bat on day one of the Sheffield Shield clash at Blacktown.
O’Keefe had two scalps by lunchtime, while a flurry of wickets in the middle session led to the Warriors being reduced to 5-147 by tea on Thursday.
The visitors lost 3-37 after lunch, including the big wicket of recently retired Test star Michael Hussey, as the hosts grabbed the upper hand.
O’Keefe’s decision to send the bottom-placed Warriors in on a sticky wicket looked like backfiring early as Liam Davis and Marcus Harris put on 62 for the first wicket.
But the 28-year-old skipper took matters into his own hands, dismissing both openers in quick succession to have figures of 2-41 at tea and thrust his name into the frame for Australia’s four-Test tour of India.
O’Keefe had Harris caught top-edging to mid-off for 25 before trapping Davis lbw for 39.
With Australia’s selectors desperate to find a backup to first-choice option Nathan Lyon, who has also struggled to cement his spot in the team, O’Keefe looms as a capable choice.
The left-arm orthodox tweaker is the Shield’s leading spinner, with 11 wickets, and is a handy batsman – putting him firmly in the selectors’ minds.
Hussey, playing his first Shield match of the season following his retirement from international cricket, scored 29 before chipping Chris Tremain (1-26) to cover.
Hilton Cartwright soon joined him in the sheds after being brilliantly run out by Scott Henry for a duck, leaving the Warriors 5-128 before a slight recovery by John Rogers (23no) and Sam Whiteman (5no).
Blues allrounder Moises Henriques bowled two overs just before tea after arriving late from Hobart, where he had played a crucial role in Australia’s 32-run ODI victory over Sri Lanka on Wednesday night.