NSW coach issues reminder around Konstas’ (and others’) ‘baby’ cricketing experience, as Boland delivers match-winning spell
Sam Konstas revived memories of his Boxing Day brilliance but the incumbent Test opener missed out on a match-winning hand as Scott Boland singlehandedly turned a tight Sheffield Shield contest at the Junction Oval.
After a first-innings duck fuelled the view Marnus Labuschagne will take his spot for next month’s first Test against England, Konstas hit back with a daring fourth-innings half-century against the Boland-led Victoria attack on Friday.
Ramping Konstas’ 53 revives Boxing Day memories
Boland had pinned him lbw for a four-ball duck two days prior, but the 20-year-old came out swinging the second time around. He got off the mark with a drive on the up first ball off his Test teammate, before charging Fergus O’Neill and crunching him over mid-off for four.
But the real heart-in-mouth moment came when Konstas flipped his hands, faced Boland chest on and reverse-ramped him over the slips cordon. It was the shot that had bemused and enraged India in his thrilling Test debut at the MCG last summer.
The opener rode his luck at times – a top-edged hook off Mitch Perry would have been swallowed if fine-leg was fielding closer to the boundary – yet he also left the ball judiciously against the Vics’ probing seam attack.
It was a feather in Todd Murphy’s cap to be the bowler who caused Konstas the most grief.
Shortly after he brought up his 82-ball fifty, Konstas, who had tried and failed several times to work the seven-Test off-spinner square on the off-side, chopped on trying to hit against Murphy’s spin again.
It was Konstas’ highest score since his 109 for Australia A in Lucknow last month, but was well short of the type of statement innings (158) posted this week by this Shield campaign’s most prolific performer so far, Labuschagne.
Marnus strengthens Test case with fourth ton of summer
Konstas’ overall volume of Shield runs this season (71 from four hits) is also well short of Labuschagne’s (319 from two) and Jake Weatherald’s (236 in four).
“At 0-90 … it was a victory that should have occurred,” said NSW coach Greg Shipperd.
“It was a disappointing finishing batting effort by our group after some sterling work by all our bowlers and catchers in both innings.
“He’s a baby cricketer in terms of experience, as are a number of batters in the game on both sides. There’s a lot of learning to be done and he’s learned a couple of lessons today.”
Murphy was the chief instigator in the Blues losing 4-8, which also included a contentious stumping call against an enraged Matthew Gilkes, who was deemed to have lifted his back foot right as Sam Harper whipped off the bails.
Gilkes stunned as Harper pulls off remarkable stumping
Gilkes had played and missed against O’Neill, who had started walking back to his mark when umpire Steve Dionysius made his surprise out decision.
Ollie Davies hit a counter-attacking 64 but received an almighty send-off after being bowled by a peach from Boland, who ended up spearheading the Vics’ 38-run win by taking the final five wickets of the game.
The right-armer engineered NSW’s collapse of 5-32 in a lion-hearted spell, finishing with 5-67 and player-of-the-match honours.Â
Boland insisted he had not been at his best.
“I felt like I bowled well in patches this week, but it wasn’t the full game that I’d hoped,” said Boland. “There’s some good stuff but some stuff I want to work on as well.”
In Hobart, a thrilling finish looms after Aaron Hardie (61) and Joel Curtis (29no) helped take Western Australia to within 44 runs of victory at stumps on day three.
Tasmania took 3-3 to swing the game back in their favour but Corey Rocchiccioli (8no) held firm with Curtis.
The Tigers had resumed the day on 5-244, but lost 5-9 to be all out for 259 as WA quick Matthew Kelly (6-49) returned career-best figures.
Red-hot Kelly collects another Shield bag
In Adelaide, Queensland are in the box seat to seize victory as Mitchell Swepson (3-87) helped reduce South Australia to 5-238, ahead by just 68 runs.
Lachlan Hearne earlier surged to his maiden first-class century, as he and Labuschagne ensured the Bulls reached 398.
Hearne pulls his way to maiden first-class ton
That gave them a 170-run first-innings lead, with Wes Agar’s 5-88 the best effort from the SA bowlers.
Agar claims big scalps in five-wicket haul
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
2
2
0
0
0
0
1.83
1.6
15.43
2
NSW Men
NSW
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
8
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