Tom Cooper falls for 99, but not before digging the Redbacks out of trouble against the Warriors
He deserved a hundred, but Tom Cooper’s 99 at Adelaide Oval on Friday was enough to guide South Australia into a commanding position on day one of its first-class clash with Western Australia.
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He’s Sheffield Shield’s runaway scorer this season, but Tom Cooper won’t lead candidates for selection on Australia’s winter Test tour of Bangladesh.
Instead, Cooper is centred on holding South Australia’s season together in a campaign that has been tough on his side from the coach down.
Cooper (99) was denied a second ton this season on a day of teasing half centuries, but ensured the Redbacks posted a super competitive 8-352 total on the opening day of a must-win game against Western Australia.
Cooper took on the WA attack with 12 boundaries and aggression fourth-placed SA needed to set-up a result.
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“You don’t get the dash in the stats column, but if I got told I would get that at the start of the day you would take it. While it is frustrating, it has got us in a really good position,” said Cooper, who missed SA’s drought-breaking win against Tasmania in Hobart during December due to concussion.
Cooper put on 80 with keeper-batsman Harry Nielsen, while cavalier tailender Chadd Sayers added 38 invaluable runs with Daniel Worrall.
No.11 Worrall (19) showed courage to continue after being struck on the helmet by a Joel Paris bouncer.
Travis Head (46), Jake Weatherald (60) and Nielsen (53) looked in ominous touch, but the relentless line of a quality visiting attack on a lively strip meant any mistake would be punished.
Cooper was given a reprieve on 81 when Matt Kelly dropped a chance off Paris (3/70) that trickled to the boundary and took the Redbacks past 300.
Paris wouldn’t be denied, knocking over the veteran Redback with a superb in-swinger before stumps.
Cooper has been a quiet achiever this campaign with 653 Shield runs at 81 in a sterling response to last season’s demotion.
Cooper is on track to surpass his career-best first-class season aggregate of 881 runs at 51.8 in 2013-14.
“The most important thing is to score some runs and put South Australia in some really good positions and hopefully be there at the pointy end of the season,” Cooper said.
Third-wicket pair Weatherald and Head punched out an 86-run stand before the Australian left-hander edged Paris for keeper Josh Inglis’ third catch in the last over before lunch.
Paris was impressive, almost tempting an edge from Head in his previous over before forcing the Redbacks skipper to play a late outswinger.
Opener Weatherald’s ninth boundary of the first session to backward point off Marcus Stoinis sealed an entertaining half century despite the departures of Henry Hunt (11), Callum Ferguson (0) and Head.
Weatherald has been in a rich vein of form since his 198 against Tasmania last November and had smoked 10 boundaries to all parts of the ground before David Moody claimed three wickets in succession.
Weatherald blasted 407 BBL09 runs at a strike rate of 133 for Adelaide Strikers and has 519 first-class runs at 43 this season.
Nielsen’s unconquered 86 against Tasmania during December in Hobart snapped an 18-game winless streak, and he chipped in with another half century before edging a drive off Moody to Shaun Marsh at second slip.