Overseas signing Harris in line for Ashes opening spot
NEW Gloucestershire signing Marcus Harris moved to shore up his Ashes place with a grinding Sheffield Shield century against New South Wales in Sydney.
Batting alongside Victoria captain and ex-gloucestershire batter Peter Handscomb, opener Harris scored one of the slowest of his 19 first-class centuries making 137 from 361 balls with nine fours and a six.
Harris played patiently although he did have another huge slice of luck. He sliced a ball to gully on 66 and Gilkes grassed the simple chance. He had already edged a ball between first and second slip on the second afternoon off Nathan Lyon.
The left-hander, who made only nine in the first innings played with more positivity against Lyon lofting him down the ground for six.
He didn’t panic as he spent an eternity in the 90s just before tea, reaching his century with a quick single.
Victoria won the match by 204 runs as they bowled NSW out for 134 in the pursuit of the target of 339 and Harris held catches to dismiss Matthew Gilkes and Sean Abbott, the former a sensationally sharp effort at gully.
But when Victoria beat New South Wales by 174 runs in the return clash in Melbourne, Harris fell for a single in the first innings and a seven-ball duck in the second.
In the first innings, Harris was caught at third slip off a brute of a delivery from Liam Hatcher, with the shoulder of the bat literally broken by a ball that leapt off a length.
In the second innings, Harris may have been unfortunate to be adjudged lbw to Sean Abbott, with major question marks over whether it pitched in line with leg stump.
Harris will now head to Queensland to quarantine with the Australia squad ahead of the Ashes coming off scores of one and nought, however, he did not do much wrong in either innings.
However as Will Pucovski is all-but ruled out of the start of the Ashes series after not recovering from his latest concussion, Harris is the most likely opening partner for David Warner at the Gabba - the same pairing that featured against India in January.