Mitch Swepson is frustrated by Queensland’s rotation of him and fellow Test spinner Matt Kuhnemann but is enjoying focusing on red ball cricket after demolishing Victoria on Tuesday.
Swepson claimed the final two wickets on Day 4 of the Sheffield Shield clash at Mackay to finish with a five-wicket haul as the Bulls thrashed Victoria by an innings and 104 runs.
The 30-year-old leg-spinner, who has played four Tests but fell behind Kuhnemann in the Australian pecking order in India earlier this year, has been confined to the Shield so far this season as the left-armer plays in the Marsh Cup.
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Queensland is yet to encounter conditions where the duo can play together, instead choosing to give each a format to ply their trade and maintain touch.
Swepson has made a strong start to the Shield season with 10 wickets at 17 in his two matches, but is unlikely to displace Kuhnemann from the one-day side against Victoria on Thursday after the finger spinner claimed 2-39 in a tight win over NSW last week.
He said the Bulls were making the best of a difficult situation, and was enjoying “knuckling down” on the longer format after only playing five first-class games last summer.
“You want to be playing as much cricket as you can, and the luxury we have at this stage is we’ve got two spinners who have played for Australia, and juggling that can be tough at times,” Swepson said.
“I couldn’t speak higher of Kuhney, he’s a great bowler and it’s unfortunate for him that he’s not getting overs during the Shield games and I’m sure he’s frustrated with that, likewise me not being able to play one-day cricket.
“I’m really enjoying the fact that I can really knuckle down and focus on my red ball game at the moment, and it seems to be helping. The ball’s coming out nicely and the wickets are coming as well.”
Swepson was poised to play on February’s Indian tour after taking the second spinner duties on previous trips to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but was leapfrogged by Kuhnemann after returning home for the birth of his child in the lead up to the second Test in Delhi.
He said he hoped the pair could bowl together more during what is expected to be a hot and dry season across the country.
Peter Handscomb (43) and Todd Murphy (40) resisted the Bulls for more than an hour on Day 4 at Mackay, before Jack Wildermuth had Handscomb caught behind and Swepson took the final two wickets in the next over.
Handscomb said there was no reason to panic for Victoria despite a second heavy loss, with few changes from last season’s side which made the Sheffield Shield final.
“If we’re changing stuff now after just a short start without playing any games at home, it’s probably not the right way to go about it,” he said.
“We know that they have worked over the last couple of years, so we don’t need to be jumping at shadows.
“We’ll stay calm, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing and trust in that process knowing that by doing that, it will change and we’ll start to see the results again.”
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Meanwhile a destructive over from South Australian batter Nathan McSweeney has put the Redbacks in the box seat to win in bowler-friendly conditions.
McSweeney, who had made a stubborn 72 from 153 balls as wickets tumbled around him at the Adelaide Oval, exploded with 28 runs off an over from debutant paceman Jack Nisbet to bring up his century and take SA from 9-182 to 9-210.
The right-hander went 6, 6, 2, 6, 4 and 4 as he smacked boundaries over the leg-side and through third man to notch his third first-class hundred.
It follows a breakout season for the 24-year-old last summer, in which he made 492 runs including two centuries and was rewarded with the co-captaincy of the Australia A side on a tour of New Zealand.
NSW captain Moises Henriques backed Nisbet, a 20-year-old right-arm quick who played his first game for NSW in a one-dayer last week, to keep bowling despite the onslaught, and the Shield debutant managed to bowl McSweeney to claim an impressive 5-53.
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The Blues were set 323 runs to win but started poorly, with rookie opener Ryan Hackney falling caught behind to Nathan McAndrew to leave the visitors 1-17.
A 56-run last wicket partnership between Nisbet (20 not out) and Matthew Gilkes (57) was crucial in keeping NSW in the match as they gave up a 110-run first innings lead to the Redbacks.
McSweeney also top scored in SA’s first innings with 64 as both batting line-ups found it difficult to deal with the new ball.
In extremely flat conditions at the WACA, Tasmania failed to make inroads against WA’s experienced openers as Sam Whiteman posted a century and Test hopeful Cameron Bancroft reached 89 not out at lunch on Day 3.
The Tigers made 439 after a career best 181 to Jordan Silk, but as the captain flagged following his innings, conditions remained difficult for the bowlers as Bancroft and Whiteman ground out 219 runs in 82 overs.
