NSW Blues opener Ryan Carters says his side’s five-wicket collapse for just 25 runs has given Western Australia a sniff and put the Sheffield Shield final right back in the balance.
NSW reached stumps at day one to be 6-242 after winning the toss and electing to bat on a flat deck in front of 1,723 spectators at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.
The Blues were well in command at 1-164 before WA medium-fast bowler Michael Hogan (2-43) snared the key wicket of Carters (72) in the last over before tea – and Ben Rohrer was dismissed cheaply after the break.
“That gave them a sniff in the final session,” Carters said.
“The game could now go either way. It’s very important that the first session goes our way tomorrow.”
NSW skipper Steve Smith (75) backed up his stellar Test form, and looked well on the way to a century before falling victim to a freakish reflex caught and bowled by impressive paceman Jason Behrendorff (3-41).
“It went straight into the bucket, it was perfect,” Behrendorff said.
“It was a very big wicket at a crucial time.”
It stirred the young Warriors left-armer into top gear, and he clean bowled Kurtis Patterson (8) before removing keeper Peter Neville for a duck to reduce the Blues to 6-189.
Moises Henriques (24 not out) and Stephen O’Keefe (26 not out) steadied the ship, yet WA’s fight back keeps them in contention to be the first away team to win a Shield final since 2004-05.
“If we can keep them to under 300 with a few quick wickets tomorrow morning we’ll be right back in the game and on top,” Behrendorff said.
The late wickets were courtesy of some sharp reverse swing around the 60-over mark, and until then NSW looked barely troubled.
“If we didn’t get the ball reversing we could have been in a lot more strife,” Behrendorff said.
Carters’ classy 72 means he’s now the second-highest run scorer for NSW in a debut season, passing Michael Bevan’s 854 in 1990-91, but still 76 runs short of Mark Taylor’s 1985-86 efforts.
“It’s been a fantastic season for me, hopefully the contribution today can help us get a good first innings score and put pressure on WA,” Carters said.
NSW only need a draw to lift the trophy again for the first time since 2008, while the Warriors are contesting their first Shield final in 15 years.
The Blues secured the hosting rights last week with their three-wicket victory against WA but chose to stage the final in Canberra because the SCG was booked for the Major League Baseball season-opening series this weekend.
