Lehmann ton rescues South Australia

Jake Lehmann reeled off his third century of the summer as a young South Australia side held their own against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match at Coffs Harbour.

Following Lehmann's hundred, Joe Mennie was able to dismiss Ed Cowan cheaply before stumps were drawn. Cowan was returning to the team after he missed their draw against Western Australia in Perth due to the after-effects of a blow to the helmet inflicted by a Joel Paris bouncer in Lincoln.

The match is being held on the NSW north coast in memory of the late Phillip Hughes, and Lehmann marked it with a swashbuckling left-hander's century as part of a concerted Redbacks counterattack that followed the loss of three early wickets.

SA's selectors had been the subject of considerable debate in Adelaide after the decision to drop the experienced but underperforming Tom Cooper and Tim Ludeman.

Their replacements Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey both made strong contributions. Opener Weatherald made a sprightly 58 while the gloveman added 105 with Lehmann after the visitors had slipped further to 5 for 123.

Another youngster, the second-game seamer Cameron Valente, helped add further runs with Lehmann, allowing the Redbacks to reach the fringes of 300.

Arjun Nair, the teenaged finger spinner who became the Blues' 738th first-class cricketer and 11th youngest debutant, claimed a pair of tail-end wickets to help round up SA's innings.