Konstas under the microscope as Boland, Davies shine

Victoria 92 for 4 trail New South Wales 238 (Davies 89, Boland 4-56) by 146 runs

With Nic Maddinson taking 20 off the second over of the match from Fergus O’Neill, the scoreboard read a bizarre 30 for 1 after 13 deliveries. Early in the afternoon, Boland took two wickets in three balls as NSW threatened to fall away but a seventh-wicket stand of 102 between Davies and Chris Green carried them to what appeared a competitive 238 on a surface expected to get tougher for batting.

Yet the major talking point of the day came in first 10 minutes. Konstas reverse scooped his second ball from Boland for four and thumped another boundary straight of mid-off. Then, having watched Maddinson target the short boundary with consecutive sixes, Konstas attempted to sweep Boland and was bowled.

It provided plenty of fuel to the debate about how Konstas should style his batting, but while his brazen approach against Jasprit Bumrah had some tactical nous to it this felt purely reckless.

“I knew Maddo was going to go after Fergus O’Neill, just because he’s so good at controlling his length and nicking people off,” Davies told ESPNcricinfo. “Maddo said, I just want to put him under the pump and get him off his game a little bit.

“So that was Maddo’s plan, and I’m not sure what Sammy was doing. I didn’t speak to him about his plan before [he went out], but if he thinks that’s the best way he’s going to score runs, then I’ll back him in 100%. He has shown it before, at Test level and Shield level, that he can score hundreds and big runs. So I’m still backing him in. I hope there’s a big score around the corner, hopefully second innings from here.”

Normality returned to proceedings following Konstas’ departure and at 70 for 1 NSW had a solid platform. However, Maddinson, who did not take another boundary off O’Neill after his early onslaught, pulled to deep square leg and the in-form Kurtis Patterson edged a flat-footed poke at Boland shortly before lunch.

On resumption, Matthew Gilkes was lbw offering no shot at O’Neill before Boland’s double intervention at the ground where he claimed 10 in the match against India on his previous appearance. Josh Philippe looked less than impressed at being given caught down the leg side but there was no doubt about Will Sutherland’s edge to first slip.

Davies, another batter not shy of bringing out his shots, played positively but sensibly to resurrect the innings alongside the stubborn Green. He struck 13 boundaries and also collected a six over fine leg, which was a little more top edge than middle, to take him to fifty from 62 balls.

He was given a life on 61 when Tom Rogers missed a chance at first slip and was in sight of a first century for the season before edging a drive off Sutherland as NSW lost their last four wickets for 12.

Both Edwards and Jackson Bird struck early with the new ball – Edwards producing an excellent delivery that clipped Campbell Kellaway’s off stump – and when Peter Handscomb fell to Hanno Jacobs, Victoria were wobbling on 25 for 3.

Dixon, who made his first-class debut in previous round, counterattacked including taking 16 off Jacobs’ fourth over but he couldn’t quite make it to stumps leaving a huge amount resting on Marcus Harris who was unbeaten with 33.

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo