Lee and Haddin come to NSW's rescue

Victoria 0 for 16 trail New South Wales 287 (Haddin 76, Lee 74*) by 271 runs
Scorecard

Brett Lee made a spectacular comeback from injury, but it was with the bat rather than the ball. His unbeaten 74 helped New South Wales to recover to 287 after they slumped to 5 for 67 on the opening day of their Pura Cup match against Victoria at the MCG. Victoria had scored 0 for 16 by the close.

At one stage Cameron White, Victoria's captain, had six men on the boundary to try to curb Lee's hitting as he steered his side to respectability after it looked like being a nightmare start for Mark Waugh in his first-class captaincy debut. Waugh was left regretting his decision to bat first after NSW lost five wickets in the pre-lunch session.

But NSW's wicketkeeper Brad Haddin dug in and put on 74 with Lee, who was playing his first first-class match since he tore an abdominal muscle in October and underwent ankle surgery in the lay-off.

Lee took on the senior batting role once Haddin was out for 76 early in the final session. From 8 for 212, Lee and Stuart Clark (12) were able to graft a partnership of 25 before Lee and Liam Zammit (13) put on 50 for the last wicket. Those runs could prove invaluable, given that both sides are locked on eight points and outright points would give the winner an equal share of the lead in the Pura Cup table.

Ian Harvey (3 for 57) and Andrew McDonald (3 for 63) gave Victoria a dream start and overcome the loss of strike bowler Mathew Inness, who withdrew because of glandular fever. Harvey took the new ball in Inness's absence and had immediate success, removing openers Greg Mail (0) and Phil Jaques (4).

McDonald also chimed in with the scalps of Michael Clarke (25) and Michael Bevan (17) - he also later bowled Waugh (44) - before some dogged NSW resistance set up what should be a good tussle over the next three days.