Jaques ton dominates first day
Bat dominated ball on the first day of New South Wales' Sheffield Shield visit to Melbourne, with Phil Jaques making an unbeaten 128 out of a total of 3 for 345 at stumps
ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Feb-2011
Bat dominated ball on the first day of New South Wales' Sheffield Shield visit to Melbourne, with Phil Jaques making an unbeaten 128 out of a total of 3 for 345 at stumps. David Warner was unlucky not to reach a maiden first-class hundred, falling for 99 to Michael Hill's unheralded medium pace, while his opening partner Phil Hughes contributed 69 to a solid opening stand of 109. Jaques took full toll of a wilting attack in the afternoon, dominating his stands with Warner and Peter Forrest.
A meek Victorian attack could do nothing to stem the flow of runs as Hughes took charge after New South Wales won the toss and opted to bat. He rushed to a half-century from just 68 balls and looked set for a long innings when he chopped Peter Siddle onto his stumps to fall against the run of play.
His wicket brought Jaques and Warner together and they quickly set about compiling a fluent 133-run stand that was ended on the stroke of tea when Warner, with a hundred practically within his grasp, cut a delivery from Hill straight to Glenn Maxwell at short backward point. With Forrest opting for cautious defence Jaques eased past his own hundred and took the Blues beyond 300 in the process.
Victoria's frustration was compounded when wicketkeeper Matthew Wade dropped Ben Rohrer when he had made just 5, and their hopes of winning a third consecutive Shield title - by winning their last three games - have practically vanished after the strong performance of the Blues' batsmen.