Queensland 5 for 125 (Labuschagne 56*, Khawaja 52, Bollinger 2-36) and 183 lead New South Wales 271 (Hughes 98*, Neser 3-58) by 41 runs
Matt Renshaw plays with the cameras at training © Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Matt Renshaw was pouched down the legside for 1 as his Ashes prospects continued to trend down, but the likely Australian gloveman Peter Nevill was also out cheaply on a day for the bowlers in the Sheffield Shield match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
Renshaw followed Joe Burns, pinned lbw by a viciously late swinging yorker from Doug Bollinger, leaving Queensland a sickly 2 for 3 in reply to the New South Wales tally of 271. From there Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the innings, until the Australian Test No. 3 was pouched for 52 by Daniel Hughes from the bowling of Nathan Lyon.
Hughes had earlier provided the spine of the Blues’ innings with another exemplary display at No. 6, vindicating the state’s decision to find room for him in a full-strength batting order. The national captain Steven Smith has talked about Hughes as an Australian player of the future, and he looked the part scoring 98 not out and shepherding the NSW tail into a more than useful first-innings lead of 88 runs.
The only downside of the innings was Hughes’ involvement in a pair of run-outs, the first to dismiss Sean Abbott, and the second to remove the last man Bollinger.
Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @danbrettig
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo