Voges warms up for Test with half-century

Australia's one-day team might have struggled in their first game in Auckland, but Test batsman Adam Voges has started his acclimatisation well, scoring an unbeaten half-century in the Sheffield Shield match in Lincoln, New Zealand. Voges finished the second day on 58 alongside David Moody, who was yet to score, as Western Australia reached 4 for 194 in reply to the New South Wales first innings of 402.

Voges, Peter Nevill and Nathan Lyon are the three men playing in the Shield match in New Zealand who will also be part of the first Test in Wellington starting next Friday. Nevill occupied the crease for 77 deliveries in making 28 for New South Wales and later snared a catch off the bat of Ashton Turner to give Lyon his only wicket from 18 overs.

The day started with the Blues on 6 for 293 and they added a further 109 for the loss of their last four wickets, Sean Abbott (49) and Gurinder Sandhu (35) scoring some useful late runs. Trent Copeland, playing first-class cricket for the first time in nearly two years, then removed both the Western Australia openers, although not before Cameron Bancroft had made 45 and Will Bosisto 11.

Doug Bollinger had Michael Klinger caught for 37 and Turner fell to Lyon late in the day, but Voges was still there at the close of play and had the chance to warm-up for the first Test with a century. Voges had two innings of note during the summer's home Test series against New Zealand, scoring an unbeaten 83 in the first innings of the series in Brisbane, and 119 in Perth.