O'Keefe eight-for, Harris ton highlight low-scoring day
The opener made 109 out of a Bushrangers total of 199, while the Blues left-arm spinner picked up career-best figures of 8 for 77
ESPNcricinfo staff
03-Mar-2018
New South Wales 4 for 65 (Hughes 30, Patterson 22*, Fawad Ahmed 1-7) trail Victoria 199 (Harris 109, Gotch 28, O'Keefe 8-77) by 134 runs
New South Wales left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe took career-best figures of 8 for 77 while Victoria opener Marcus Harris produced a stunning century on a dramatic opening day of the Sheffield Shield match at the revamped Junction Oval in Melbourne.
Harris' innings of 109 out of the Bushrangers total of 199 stood as a beacon among the wreck that was caused by O'Keefe's wily fingerspin.
The former Australia Test spinner took the first five scalps as Harris watched at the non-strikers' end. Harris was remarkably the sixth wicket to fall, having scored 109 out of 161, including 14 fours and two sixes, in 161 balls.
Cameron White and Seb Goth were the only other Bushrangers batsmen to reach double figures but neither reached 30. O'Keefe bowled unchanged to finish with 8 for 77 from 32.5 overs.
The Blues struggled in reply, losing 4 for 65 before stumps. Two wickets fell to pace and two to spin to leave the contest evenly poised.