Rookie quick undoes Steve Smith on a day that felt a little out of whack

Things just felt a little out of whack and so it played out when Steve Smith found himself facing a young Victorian quick.

Young Victorian paceman Mitch Perry troubled Steve Smith from the start

There were Swans on the lake and Roosters in the hallways when Sheffield Shield returned to the SCG on Wednesday.

The arriving cricketers were greeted by the Sydney AFL squad training on what used to be called the Lakeside Oval. Buddy Franklin, consigned to purgatory by a string of injuries that have kept him from the field since mid-2019, trained on the far side of the field while the rest of the squad went through a series of drills ahead of their season start on March 20.

The Roosters NRL squad had a photo day booked at the ground and presented looking smart in their playing strips.

Things just felt a little out of whack and so it played out when Steve Smith found himself facing a young Victorian quick in the morning session.

Having escaped the lockdown in their state, the visitors won the toss and opted to give their bowlers first crack on a pitch that may have had a bit of juice in it from recent heavy rains.

Smith looked up for a repeat of his well-paced century in the Marsh Cup on Monday — his leaves outside off stump so theatrical the seasoned observers nodded and said he was here to fill his boots. But they had not counted on young Mitch Perry putting in the best performance on a cricket field by anybody of that name since Katy at the World Cup in March last year.

The 20-year-old, with a razored fop of red hair styled like he played in an 80s synth outfit and playing in just his third Sheffield Shield match, troubled Smith from his first delivery, hitting an awkward length and moving the ball off the pitch.

The senior batsman watched him closely, left dramatically and when he did play the ball was unhappy with where his bat intersected with it.

In his second over, Perry forced Smith to play at one aimed on the stumps that moved away, caught the edge and was pocketed behind the stumps by Seb Gotch.

It is not that often you see a senior batsman so disconcerted by a young bowler and no surprise that Perry’s first question on resuming his fielding position on the boundary was whether the photographers on hand managed to get the picture (they had).

“I was in shock … that he actually nicked it,” Perry said afterwards. “He doesn’t really nick them, so I was pretty happy.

“You watch him on TV, smashing international attacks … I was very nervous. He’s the best batter in the world, you have to be on your game from ball one.”

Victoria’s attack is anchored by veterans James Pattinson, Scott Boland and Jon Holland, but youngsters played their parts.

Perry finished with 3-25 from 17 overs, Holland picked up 3-38 and NSW were rolled for a disappointing 165.

Moises Henriques, who was a chance of a start in the South African Tests, contributed 67 from 170 balls at No 5, was the best of the batsmen and was the last man dismissed.

Victorian openers Marcus Harris and Nic Maddinson found the going a little easier in the last hour than the Blues had in the first five, the pair putting on 61 without loss. Maddinson was 43no from 36 balls and Harris a more sedate 16no from 44.

Down in Tasmania, where Queensland took on the locals in the other Sheffield Shield match, another youngster got himself a trophy wicket.

The Gold Coast Dolphins left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann celebrated his first day at this level by making his first wicket the Australian captain Tim Paine.

The skipper had been looking solid until Kuhnemann got him out of his crease but not to the pitch of a delivery, which he pushed back into the spinner’s hands.

As significant as that was, it was perhaps Caleb Jewell’s return to the Tigers for his first game in 18 months that really caught the eye.

Batting at No 4, Jewell was 131no at stumps when no other member of the top order reached 30. Tasmania resumes on day two at 7-293.