Shield: Bailey farewells Tassie with golden duck

George Bailey fell for a first-ball duck in his final Sheffield Shield innings but his Tasmania teammates dug in against South Australia.

Tasmania’s George Bailey is bowled first ball by Wesley Agar in Hobart

Veteran George Bailey fell for a first-ball duck in his final Sheffield Shield innings but his Tasmania teammates dug in against South Australia to set up an intriguing final day’s play.

Better known for his limited-overs exploits, Ben McDermott spent more than four hours at the crease to finish Monday unbeaten on 88 from 232 balls.

The Tigers second innings will resume on Tuesday at 6-241, an overall lead of 149 runs.

Bailey, who’ll retire at the end of the Big Bash League season to become a national selector, was clean bowled in the morning session trying to leave a delivery from Wes Agar.

It was an inglorious finish for the popular 37-year-old, who ends his 15-year first-class career with more than 10,000 runs and as the state’s third-highest run scorer behind Jamie Cox and Michael Di Venuto.

Bailey, who played 90 one-day Internationals, 30 T20s and five Tests for Australia, managed just seven in Tasmania’s first innings.

He then became Agar’s second victim in the space of two balls, after Mac Wright (eight) was caught at mid-on off a mistimed pull shot.

Agar was the best of the Redbacks’ quicks with 3-44.

Tasmania crawled at less than two runs per over for stretches but picked up the pace towards the end of the day.

McDermott shared a 94-run stand with Jake Doran (44) to drag Tasmania into the lead after they conceded a first-innings deficit of 92.

Tailender Lawrence Neil-Smith (31 not out) frustrated the visitors on a pitch that is losing life.

South Australia, who are second last on the Shield ladder, are aiming to end an 18-match winless streak dating back to February 2018.

George Bailey gets bowled first ball

Opener Jake Weatherald starred with 126 in the Redbacks’ first innings of 346, with skipper Alex Carey next best on 73.

In Sydney, dropped Test batsman Usman Khawaja has battled his way back into form with a fighting half century, but NSW are on course to beat his Queensland team at the SCG.

The Bulls finished day three of the Sheffield Shield game on 5-111 in their second innings, still needing another 24 to make the Blues bat again.

Queensland captain Khawaja, who had scored just 81 runs at an average of 11.57 from his seven previous Shield innings this season, notched his highest first-class score of the campaign, finishing the day on 53 not out. He has faced 113 balls in his defiant 168-minute innings, striking four boundaries, since starting his innings before tea.

No other Bulls batter made more than 17, as Sheffield Shield ladder leaders NSW closed in on a fifth outright win in six games.

The second-placed Bulls trailed by 135 on first innings after dismissing the Blues for 375 in mid-afternoon.

Usman Khawaja during day 3 of the Sheffield Shield game at the SCG

Test squad pacemen Michael Neser ripped out the bottom half of the NSW order by taking 4-8 in 29 balls to finish with 4-68 off 30.5 overs.

NSW captain Peter Nevill and Sean Abbott batted throughout the first session on Monday to ensure NSW would enjoy a healthy lead.

But the innings folded quickly with NSW losing 5-22 after their sixth-wicket stand of 159 was broken.

Abbott was caught pulling a delivery from Neser and fell for his first-class highest score of 86 and Nevill finished 88 not out.

Queensland’s second innings got off to a bad start with Blues veteran Stephen O’Keefe marking his 35th birthday by running out Bryce Street with a direct hit from midwicket before tea, The Blues claimed four more wickets in the final session, all of them taken by a different bowler.

AAP