Agar sends Test selectors timely reminder, Pope spins SA to nine-year drought-breaker, Patterson’s cursed run ends

Every week after George Bailey issued a name for Australia’s left-arm spinners to get up, Western Australia’s Ashton Agar has just about stated, “Don’t forget about me”.

WA prolonged their lead on the high of the Sheffield Protect ladder with a complete thrashing of Tasmania in Hobart, with veteran left-armer Agar claiming 3-12 in 17.5 testing overs within the second innings.

The guests dismissed the Tigers for 98 to win by an innings and 45 runs, with paceman Brody Sofa changing into the primary bowler to take a Sheffield Protect hat-trick for Western Australia of their historical past.

Proper-armer Sofa had Jake Doran lbw, earlier than Lawrence Neil-Smith chopped a ball onto his stumps and Sofa clear bowled Sam Elliott.

The three wickets got here within the first over after tea, killing off any hopes of Tasmania hanging on for a draw after they began the ultimate session at 6-89.

“I reckon that’s my first ever hat-trick, so it’s a pretty special feeling. Just rapt to win the game,” Sofa stated.

“It might take a while (to sink in). But I am just so stoked to get the win.” 

Agar’s sturdy efficiency got here after New Zealand left-arm spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel performed essential roles in a historic 3-0 Test sequence win in India forward of the Indians’ tour of Australia.

Simply final week Australian chairman of selectors Bailey stated left-arm orthodox spin was “an incredible skill-set in the sub-continent”, with a sequence in Sri Lanka subsequent yr on the horizon.

“Realistically there’s not a huge amount of players in domestic cricket that are doing it, so it is something we are looking to expose,” Bailey stated.

Agar showcased nice selection on the ultimate day and dried up the runs, permitting the tempo assault on the different finish to additionally shine.

WA, winners of the previous three Protect titles, had earlier taken a 143-run first innings lead after reaching 9(dec)-460 late on day three.

The hosts resumed at 2-10 needing certainly one of their high order to dig in for an enormous rating.

It was not to be, as left-arm fast Joel Paris swung a pearler in to Charlie Wakim to lure him lbw with out troubling the scorers to the fifth ball of the morning.

Nightwatchman Gabe Bell (12) was undone by an ideal left-arm orthodox supply from Agar that curled in and spun away to hit the highest of the off stump.

Skipper Jordan Silk (11) was unable to get going and was trapped in entrance by an Agar skidder.

The cricket was attritional and moved at a snail’s tempo however that was largely due to the accuracy of the bowling.

Tasmania confronted 67.5 overs within the second innings with Jake Doran (12 off 144 balls) an instance of how WA turned the screws.

Paris, 31, showcased why he is among the main exponents of left-arm tempo bowling within the nation. His 2-18 within the second innings complemented the 4-45 he claimed within the first. At instances he was unplayable on a floor that provided little or no.

The WA efficiency was extra meritorious contemplating strike bowler Matthew Kelly was rubbed out after struggling a hamstring damage within the first innings.

Pope spins SA to drought-breaking win

Lloyd Pope has spun South Australia to their first Sheffield Protect victory over Victoria in 9 years, claiming six wickets to seal victory with 16 minutes to spare.

In an exciting and considerably controversial end at Adelaide Oval, Pope took 6-74 to have Victoria all out for 207 in pursuit of an unlikely goal of 346.

Pope took 4 wickets in 13 minutes to win the match, after Victoria regarded possible to declare a draw with 4 wickets in hand and half-hour left earlier than stumps.

The win marked South Australia’s first win over Victoria since 2015-16, with the 2 groups having performed 18 video games since then.

However the end was not with out drama, with Victoria’s Campbell Kellaway (80) given out at bat-pad among the many flurry of late wickets.

Kellaway appeared bewildered by the decision, with replays suggesting the ball could have come flush off the pad and never hit his bat on the best way to the fielder.

From there it appeared inevitable that Pope would take South Australia to victory, earlier than he wrapped up the match by trapping Cameron McClure lbw making an attempt to go away the ball.

Pope’s figures made for simply the third five-wicket haul of his Sheffield Protect profession, and his first in 4 years after bursting on to the scene as a cult hero within the 2017 under-19s World Cup.

Pope had at all times regarded probably the most threatening of South Australia’s bowlers on a deteriorating day-four wicket.

The legspinner was the one bowler to threaten Victoria’s batters within the opening session, with Ashley Chandrasinghe (52) and Kellaway nicely set.

Henry Thornton finally received the breakthrough within the center session when he had Chandrasinghe caught at slip with a fast-rising ball.

And whereas Thornton additionally eliminated Tom Rogers shortly after, it was at all times Pope who regarded the more than likely to take cost of the sport.

He had Peter Handscomb beautifully caught by man-of-the-match Ben Manenti at first slip for eight, then drew Sam Harper’s again foot out of his crease to have him stumped for 5.

And after Mitchell Perry chewed up 80 balls in a 25-over partnership with Kellaway, it was Pope who received the essential wicket within the remaining hour.

The 24-year-old spun a ball again from exterior the left-hander’s off stump, bowling Perry for 9 because the No.8 went again to minimize.

Kellaway’s wicket got here in Pope’s subsequent over, earlier than he had Peter Siddle caught at slip to go away Victoria 9 wickets down.

And when No.11 McClure provided no shot to a ball that went straight on, Pope had ensured South Australia would keep second on the ladder with a uncommon win over their outdated rivals.

Patterson backs up in second dig

Former Test batsman Kurtis Patterson has underlined his profitable return to the Sheffield Protect, serving to NSW bat out a draw in opposition to Queensland.

After NSW had been requested to begin their second innings with a 167-run deficit on Monday morning, Patterson’s 66 helped the Blues to 4-256 when each side agreed to finish play.

Ollie Davies additionally thrived for NSW, caught within the deep hooking within the remaining session for 88 after being measured early and taking the sport on extra late.

The outcome left each groups with out wins from the opening three rounds, with two attracts every.

However this fixture was an undoubted private victory for Patterson.

NSW’s captain as not too long ago as two seasons in the past, the left-hander was solely picked for 3 Protect matches by the Blues final summer season and once more began 2024-25 out of the facet.

However with a raft of gamers unavailable via Australia and Australia A commitments, selectors had been pressured to carry him again in, at No.3.

And the two-time Test consultant delivered, after admitting he as soon as feared his first-class profession was over.

The 31-year-old performed a lone hand with 91 for the Blues within the first innings, earlier than once more shining vivid on Monday.

Patterson performed one of many pictures of the day with a flourishing square-drive off Mitchell Swepson (2-83), as certainly one of six boundaries in his innings.

And he barely regarded troubled till rain briefly interrupted play within the second session, and Swepson ripped one again between bat and pad to bowl him on his first ball again.

However by then, the sport had been saved for NSW, with Patterson and Davies’ 117-run third-wicket stand counteracting the Bulls’ rain-interrupted first-innings whole of 5-406.

Davies’ runs additionally marked his greatest outing to date this summer season, earlier than he enters Australia A’s camp later this week to face India A in Melbourne.

© AAP