Bulls off and running after last-gasp victory
REIGNING Sheffield Shield champions Victoria remain mired at the bottom of the ladder after Queensland scored a boilover win at the MCG.
Legspinner Mitchell Swepson trapped Jon Holland lbw for a duck with seven balls left late yesterday to secure the 60run win.
Holland and fellow tailender Chris Tremain (18 not out) had hung on grimly for nearly nine overs.
It is Victoria’s third loss from four games, while Queensland are second on the ladder with two wins.
Victorian opener Eamonn Vines appeared hard done by when he tried to evade a short ball down the leg side but umpire John Ward gave him out for the second wicket.
The replay strongly suggested the ball had only brushed his shirt on the way through.
Then Queensland were adamant they had won the game when Tremain was caught at second slip off the bowling of debutant Blake Edwards with seven overs left.
Tremain did not budge and this time Ward ruled it had come off the pad.
Victoria, who have won four of the past five Shields, were well-placed after tea on day three when Queensland lost the seventh wicket in their second innings and only led by 89.
But a stubborn 88-run partnership from captain Jimmy Peirson and fellow tailender Mark Steketee proved the counter punch that turned the game. It took a sharp catch from Victorian captain Peter Handscomb at wide first slip off James Pattinson’s bowling to remove Steketee yesterday morning for a top score of 52.
Peirson was unbeaten on 51 as Queensland were dismissed for 306 before lunch, setting up a run chase of 190 for Victoria.
After reaching 41 without loss, Victoria bled wickets amid rain delays and tight bowling.
Handscomb, who topscored with 92 in the first innings, only made three when he attempted a pull shot off debutant Blake Edwards and chopped on to his stumps.
That left Victoria teetering at 3-52 and needing a massive partnership from Aaron Finch and teenage newcomer Jake Fraser-McGurk.
But Fraser-McGurk (19) and Finch (17) fell and the home side were on the ropes at 5-85. After his hat-trick in the first innings, Swepson snared 3-17 as opener Matt Short topscored with 27.