Sheffield Shield pitches proved difficult for top orders around the country
Sam Konstas’ grip on the Test opening position loosened further after being put through the ringer by Scott Boland on a lively day-one Junction Oval pitch.
Konstas did not lay bat on ball in a four-ball burst against Boland in the final hour of play on Wednesday, leaving three deliveries before the Test paceman fired in a straight one that cannoned into the young New South Welshman’s front pad.
The Australia pair had shared good-natured words when Konstas was fielding at short-leg to No.11 Boland at the tail-end of the home side’s batting innings.
But the Victorian had the last laugh in a searching new-ball examination, dismissing him for the fifth time in four Shield encounters.
It only reinforced the notion Boland will be a handful at Perth Stadium if he is the man to replace Pat Cummins in the opening Ashes Test next month in case the Australia captain is not fit.
But it intensified questions on Konstas’ spot. This was the second time he has been out lbw this season after Joel Paris pinned him for 4 in the Blues’ Sheffield Shield season opener against Western Australia, while he made 14 in the second dig.
All three innings have been on testing surfaces, but the right-hander must prove he can thrive in those conditions to hold onto his opening spot for this summer’s Ashes.
Victoria v New South Wales | Sheffield Shield | Day 1
“Scotty Boland with a new one – you could put him on the M4 and he’d still be tough work,” said NSW paceman Liam Hatcher, who earlier took 5-88 – his maiden first-class five-wicket haul.
“That’s what happens when you face the new ball, you get good ones. There’s still plenty of time before that first Test and he’ll come good, he’ll score some important runs for us.
“He’s obviously a very, very good young player for 20 years old and he just brushes that stuff off pretty quickly, the noise doesn’t really get to him because he’s so confident in who he is and his game.
“There’s some big things around the corner.”
Abbott subbed out of Shield match with injury
Konstas’ struggles came on a day that saw few Shield batters prosper around the country, though he did have a front-row view to a masterclass from Peter Handscomb, whose 85 was the highest score from any of the three matches so far.
It was a timely reminder of the skills possessed by Handscomb (85) on tricky batting surfaces. The veteran gritted through 144 balls on a track that had notably more carry than a typical October Junction Oval track.
That came after the Vics’ top-order crumbled; Marcus Harris (4 off 7), Campbell Kellaway (3 off 22), Harry Dixon (6 off 15) and Oliver Peake (16 off 19) all departed early.
Another Ashes aspirant, Kurtis Patterson (5), did likewise later in the day for NSW as Fergus O’Neill 2-12 reduced NSW to 3-39 at stumps in reply to the Vics’ 240.
Enticing Hatcher cleans up Victoria with Shield five-for
Mitch Perry (66 off 140) shared in a 130-run stand with Handscomb to continue his impressive start to the season.
“Considering the way they started with the ball, for us to drag it back there with Pez and get a score that keeps us in the game is very pleasing,” said Handscomb.
That came after Sean Abbott split the webbing on his hand and became the first player to be substituted out a Shield match under a Cricket Australia trial. Â Â
In Hobart, Jake Weatherald failed to advance his Test case on a seaming Bellerive Oval surface, nicking a good ball from fit-again Western Australia allrounder Aaron Hardie (3-45) to second slip.
Weatherald made 67 and 57 on a flatter surface last week in Brisbane but has not yet this summer piled on the kind of total that will force selectors to take notice of last season’s leading run scorer.
Tasmania v Western Australia | Sheffield Shield | Day 1
Opposing opener Cameron Bancroft then continued his rough start to his 2025-26 campaign as he too edged to the cordon, off Jackson Bird. The 10-Test right-hander now has scores of 10, 3 and 3 to begin the Shield season.
The Beau Webster-less Tigers (the Test allrounder continues to recover from an ankle injury) had been rolled for just 171 with Jake Doran (41no) the only home side batter to pass 40. WA were 4-107 in reply at stumps.
Every ball of Michael Neser’s ripping new-ball spell
Alex Carey, playing for South Australia this week at Adelaide Oval as he skips the first ODI against India to help his Ashes preparation, lasted just four balls before one of his trademark lofted drives found mid-off’s hands.
It was a prized scalp for rookie off-spinner Jack Sinfield on a strong day for Queensland’s slow bowlers, with leggie Mitchell Swepson taking 4-50.
Nathan McSweeney (41) was fresh off a 21-ball duck against the Vics and endured almost as long (20 balls) before getting off the mark against the Michael Neser-led Bulls attack.
Neser (4-30) got him in the end, bowling him with a nip-backer that McSweeney did not offer a shot to. Henry Hunt had departed in identical fashion earlier in the day, with half-centuries to Conor McInerney (60) and Jason Sangha (51) lifting SA out of trouble.
Sheffield Shield 2025-26 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Drawn
D
No results
N/R
Deductions
Ded.
Batting Bonus
Bat
Bowling Bonus
Bowl
Total points
PTS
1
Victoria Men
VIC
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.43
0.6
8.03
2
NSW Men
NSW
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
7
3
Queensland Bulls
QLD
1
0
0
1
0
0
1.73
0.8
3.53
4
Tasmanian Tigers Men
TAS
1
0
0
1
0
0
1.31
0.2
2.51
5
South Australia Men
SA
1
0
1
0
0
0
0.87
0.9
1.77
6
Western Australia Men
WA
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points