Nannes and McKay keep Blues to 261

Dirk Nannes and Clint McKay took four wickets each as Victoria kept New South Wales to 261 on the first day in Sydney after the Blues had chosen to bat first. At stumps Victoria had faced two overs and were 0 for 3 with Chris Rogers on 2 and Nick Jewell yet to score.

New South Wales lost all ten wickets to fast bowlers and the damage began when Nannes and McKay made early inroads by removing the openers Phillip Hughes and Greg Mail within the first two overs. However, they were revived by a 98-run stand for the third wicket between Peter Forrest and Usman Khawaja before McKay struck again to have Forrest caught behind for 33.

Khawaja, playing his first Sheffield Shield match of the summer, was impressive in compiling 66 before he gave Darren Pattinson his first wicket of the campaign. Lower-order resistance from Grant Lambert and Daniel Smith helped New South Wales prop up their total and the pair put on 83.

Smith, the wicketkeeper who has stepped up with Brad Haddin in the Test side, had battled for batting impact so far this season but his career-best 56 showed his potential. Lambert finished unbeaten on 48 as he lost his tail-end colleagues cheaply to McKay and Nannes.

Nannes, who finished with 4 for 57, continued his good form in the competition - he had a match haul of 11 for 95 in Victoria's nine-wicket win over Queensland in their previous match. McKay finished with 4 for 33.