Maddinson century and Sandhu five-for leave game evenly poised
Harris and Handscomb fall in the 90s before Queensland induce a Victoria collapse of 7 for 24
ESPNcricinfo staff
20-Feb-2022
Nic Maddinson is averaging 80.80 in seven Sheffield Shield innings this season • Getty Images
Queensland 349 and 3 for 69 (Street 24, Perry 2-20) lead Victoria 360 (Maddinson 110*, Handscomb 92, Harris 91, Sandhu 5-65) trail by 58 runs
Nic Maddinson made a fine unbeaten century before Gurinder Sandhu's second consecutive Sheffield Shield five-wicket haul sparked a stunning collapse to help Queensland avoid a significant first-innings deficit at the Junction Oval.
Maddinson's innings, along with 92 from Peter Handscomb, 91 from Marcus Harris, and 48 from Matthew Short had put Victoria in a strong position at 3 for 336, just 14 runs shy of taking the first-innings lead.
But Sandhu and Mark Steketee combined to take 7 for 24 in 10 overs to rip through Victoria's lower order and bowl the home side out for 360 with a lead of only 11. Sandhu picked up 5 for 65, following on from his 6 for 57 in Adelaide in November. It was just his third first-class five-wicket haul having claimed his first on debut.
Maddinson and Short had been in cruise control during a 140-run stand having come together after the early loss of Harris and Handscomb on day three. Both men fell within sight of their centuries inside the first hour. Harris closed the bat face trying to work James Bazley through midwicket and the thick edge was well held by Bryce Street in the gully. Handscomb moved from 74 to 92 before trying to cut a slider from Mitchell Swepson that zipped through and crashed into off stump.
Maddinson then proved why he's on the fringe of Australia's Test side with his second Shield century of the summer. He struck 12 fours and a six and attacked both pace and spin with equal skill. He now has two centuries and two half-centuries in seven Shield innings this season while averaging 80.80. But when Short holed out hooking Steketee down fine leg's throat the game turned in an instant. Five of the last six Victoria batters registered ducks as Steketee and Sandhu tore through the tail while Maddinson watched helplessly at the non-striker's.
Queensland knocked over the deficit without loss but Mitchell Perry and Jon Holland made three key breakthroughs before stumps, removing Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw and Street to leave Queensland three down with a lead of just 58 and one day to play to force a result.