Queensland fast bowler Mark Steketee did his best to enhance his already-established Test credential with a stunning solo blitz at the WACA.
Steketee, who was a late addition to Australia’s squad for the tour of Pakistan in March, without playing a Test, ripped through the WA top-order taking five-wickets in nine overs on day two of their Sheffield Shield clash.
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The 28-year-old year-old removed both openers and then took out rising star Teague Wyllie for a second-ball duck to have the home team reeling at 3-3 on the bowler friendly deck.
Wickets continued to tumble with his partner in crime Michael Neser, the man Steketee replaced on that Pakistan tour, also getting in on the action.
But it was Steketee who did all the damage, and he had amazing figures of 5-14 at lunch in Perth with WA teetering at 7-48, following Test aspirant Jhye Richardson’s four-wicket haul on the opening day which helped dismiss Queensland for just 211.
Steketee now has 15 wickets in just two-and-half Shield games this season already.
The Queenslander showed how close he is to Test selection with his Pakistan call-up followed by a trip to Sri Lanka where he snared nine wickets in two games for Australia A.
In Hobart an already rain-interrupted final day of play between Tasmania and Victoria ended when a second hailstorm hit Blundstone Arena and the match was forced to end in a draw.
The entire field was covered in white after the second storm hit in the afternoon and the players were unable to return.
Victorian tail-ended Mitch Perry, who went in as nightwatchman on Monday, held off the local attack with last year’s Shield player of the year, Travis Dean, who was playing his first match of the season.
Dean was unbeaten on 70, and Perry not out 31 when the match was called off in the final session, the Vics defiant at 1-122 in their second innings, with a draw the most likely result regardless of the weather.
The Vics are yet to crack it for a win this season, with three draws coming from their three games, while Tassie at least tasted victory in their opening match of the season.
AT Wollongong, NSW captain Kurston Patterson couldn’t bat in the morning because of a migraine.
But the two-Test batter got off his sick bed to post a brilliant century as he and in-form all-rounder Sean Abbott put the South Australian bowlers to the sword in their Shield clash.
Patterson went past Sir Donald Bradman on the all-time run-scorers list for NSW during a shortened day of play on Monday, but wasn’t unable to resume his innings first thing Tuesday morning.
Instead he watched as opener Daniel Hughes fell just short of a century, out for 91, before Patterson returned to the crease when Moises Henriques was out for a duck.
Batting with Abbot the duo had put on 105 when rain stopped play, after Patterson scored his 11th first class century.
