Gillespie seven shoots out Warriors

South Australia 1 for 75 trail Western Australia 236 (Hogg 68, Voges 58, Gillespie 7-58)
Scorecard

Jason Gillespie's seven wickets helped South Australia make a strong start as they attempt to give Darren Lehmann his second decent farewell of the week, knocking over Western Australia for 236. It will take something special to match the midweek one-day game for excitement, but Gillespie did his best, while Brad Hogg racked up a quickfire fifty from 36 balls, including 29 runs off a Lehmann over to forget.

The Redbacks then lost Mark Cosgrove but overall it was very much their day, as they moved to 1 for 75 after taking wickets for fun following Adam Voges' decision to bat on a decent surface. At the close Matthew Elliott was on 27 and Callum Ferguson had 43.

Gillespie bowled sharply and with incision from both ends. His 7 for 58 were his best figures at the Adelaide Oval, beating his 5 for 41 against Queensland last season, and his fifth-best in first-class matches. He started with two quick wickets, removing the debutant Liam Davis for 8 in his second over on a third lbw shout, and then Chris Rogers for 14, thick-edging a cover drive through.

Western Australia were low on firepower with Luke Pomersbach and Shaun Marsh suspended (the pair having two centuries and three fifties between them in three first-class matches this season). The other drafted-in debutant, Theo Doropoulos, managed 21 before his dismissal, bowled leg-stump by a quicker, flatter delivery, brought up the biggest cheer of the day - a wicket for Lehmann.

Much had rested on their big guns Justin Langer and Luke Ronchi but Ronchi was held on 9 off Gillespie, a vital catch for Nathan Adcock who had earlier missed a sitter off Paul Rofe when Langer was on 2. Rofe finally had him on 34, inducing an edge through, and proved a good foil for Gillespie and a handy stand-in for Shaun Tait, who was rested at Cricket Australia's request.

Hogg took matters into his own hands, with four sixes and a four off the Lehmann over a particular highlight, equalling the most runs off an over in first-class cricket at Adelaide, following David Hookes' feat in 1976-77. Mark Cosgrove cleaned Hogg up for a 42-ball 68, including six sixes, giving South Australia a vital breakthrough after the visitors were beginning to wrest the advantage for the second time.

Voges' half-century briefly stole the initiative, but otherwise the opening day was all South Australia, thanks largely to Gillespie. Voges became Gillespie's fourth victim, bowled attempting to defend a cracker. The bowler was then on a hat-trick, as Aaron Heal fell next ball, caught by Matthew Elliott at third slip.

While he couldn't quite complete three from three, Gillespie did claim Mathew Inness (5) and Ben Edmondson (0) to wrap up the innings. Inness left alone one which knocked back middle and off, while Edmondson poked to second slip, beaten - like many of the others - for sheer pace.

Elliott and Callum Ferguson recovered quickly from Cosgrove's early departure, to a snorter from Inness. Ferguson built on his back-to-back half-centuries in the last match, and was in sight of his fifty by stumps, following another fluid innings.

After a turbulent start to their season, South Australia have at last had a first-class day to be proud of and will hope to build on such a start on Saturday.