Victoria in control despite Maddinson’s nasty blow

VICTORIAN opener Nic Maddinson is in hospital with a suspected broken arm after he was struck yesterday while batting against Western Australia in their Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.

Maddinson paid a painful price for turning his back on a Jhye Richardson short ball on yesterday’s third day.

The left-hander was in agony after the ball hit him flush on his right wrist and tea was taken early as Maddinson left the field.

The team media manager took Maddinson to nearby Epworth Hospital for scans. Victoria otherwise tightened its grip and was 0-112 at stumps in the second innings, an overall lead of 240 runs with a day left.

Travis Dean was 50 not out and Will Pucovski, in his first Shield match since returning from mental-health issues, had made 51.

Maddinson was having a dream Shield debut for Victoria before he had to retire hurt on 10. The NSW discard, who has also signed with the Melbourne Stars for the BBL, had top-scored in the first innings with 162.

Earlier, Victorian spinner Jon Holland rocked WA with a double blow immediately after lunch on day three.

Holland snared the key wickets of Ashton Turner and Josh Inglis as the Warriors were dismissed in their first innings for 296. The left-armer finished with 5-65 from 38.3 overs, his eighth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.