By Justin Chadwick
Victoria have been skittled for 63 as Queensland pace duo Michael Neser and Mark Steketee wreaked havoc in the Sheffield Shield clash at Allan Border Field.
Queensland went to tea on day one at 2-45, just 18 runs behind Victoria’s paltry first-innings total.
Neser and Steketee entered the clash as the leading wicket-takers this season and their reputations were further enhanced following a magical few hours on Thursday.
Steketee finished with 5-18 off 11 overs while Neser returned figures of 4-22 off 12.4 overs.
Ashley Chandrasinghe (16 off 85 balls) was Victoria’s highest scorer. Only three of Victoria’s batters reached double figures.
The team total of 63 was Victoria’s fourth-lowest on record and their lowest since posting 73 against WA 51 years ago.
Victoria’s decision to bat first on the green-tinged deck proved disastrous, with the visitors reduced to 2-0 and 5-13.
Neser started the carnage by bowling Travis Dean for a duck with the third ball of the day.
The in-form Marcus Harris followed soon after in embarrassing fashion, with the ball hitting the back of his bat and ballooning to Marnus Labuschagne at cover.
Peter Handscomb entered the match with 518 runs to his name this season at an average of 172.7.
But he was out for five when he was trapped lbw by Neser, leaving Victoria rocking at 3-5.
Alarm bells rang ever louder when Nic Maddinson and Sam Harper fell cheaply to leave the Bushrangers at 5-13 after nine overs.
Wickets continued to tumble with only 20-year-old Chandrasinghe able to offer any semblance of resistance in what became a painful fight for survival.
Momentary resistence: Ashley Chandrasinghe.Credit:Getty Images
Amazingly, the damage could have been even worse for the Bushrangers.
Harper was lucky to survive a strong lbw shout when he shouldered arms to a Steketee delivery that reared back in to the stumps.
The Bulls also dropped two catches during the morning session – both off the bowling of Neser.
Neser would have had figures of 4-4 had Usman Khawaja held onto a sharp chance at third slip when Will Sutherland was yet to score.
The star paceman then watched on in agony as another chance went begging – this time when Khawaja and Joe Burns clattered at slip to drop a Mitchell Perry edge.
Queensland moved to 0-39 in their reply before losing Burns (22) and Matthew Renshaw (13) in consecutive overs shortly before tea.
VICTORIA’S LOWEST SHIELD TOTALS
31 v NSW in Sydney, 1907
35 v NSW in Sydney, 1927
43 v South Australia in Melbourne, 1896
63 v Queensland in Brisbane, 2022
73 v Western Australia in Melbourne, 1971
