Maddinson shines as Test hopefuls struggle
New South Wales' trio of Test hopefuls - Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith - struggled to make an impression on the first day of the Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA
ESPNcricinfo staff
28-Nov-2010
Western Australia 0 for 3 (Davis 1*, Robinson 0*) trail New South Wales 291 (Maddinson 72, Hughes 48, Duffield 3-64)
Scorecard
Scorecard
New South Wales' trio of Test hopefuls - Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith - struggled to make an impression on the first day of the Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA and it was left to 18-year-old Nic Maddinson to hold the innings together as the visitors were bowled out for 291. Maddinson, who struck a century on first-class debut against South Australia last month, made 72 of those to counter a strong performance from the Warriors' seamers, and the home side's opening batsmen then negotiated a four-over burst to go to 0 for 3 at stumps.
Hughes looked in superb touch as he and Phil Jaques went past an untroubled half-century opening stand, and was particularly punishing through the covers as he rattled along at close to a run a ball. He collected three boundaries in one Ryan Duffield over and looked set to advance his claims for a Test spot before both he and Jaques fell in quick succession to seamer Drew Porter as New South Wales slipped from 0 for 83 to 2 for 90.
Porter, whose last first-class appearance was in 2008-09, was only included in WA's side for this match after Michael Hogan withdrew with a back problem. He struck in consecutive overs, trapping Jaques lbw and tempting Hughes into an edged drive to second slip. Not long afterwards Smith, batting at No. 4, chipped to mid-on where Michael Beer held a juggled catch and New South Wales were 3 for 104.
When Khawaja and Moises Henriques were dispatched in the afternoon session, the visitors were 5 for 164 and wobbling. Maddinson and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill eased them past 200 with a 62-run partnership for the sixth wicket, Maddinson striking 12 fours in his half-century before he was removed by Beer. A typically bellicose 19-ball 33 from captain Stuart Clark took New South Wales close to 300, but his new-ball bowlers were unable to break through in a short burst before the close as Liam Davis and Wes Robinson dug in with extra-cautious tenacity.