New South Wales 279 & 3-360d defeated Queensland 260 & 216 by 163 runs
The Blues were boosted with the inclusion of a Test-quality attack but it was their batsmen who stood up for the first time this season.
Moises Henriques threw his name in the ring for the first Test with a brisk 152 on the first day, scoring 54% of his side’s runs.
Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns might well be battling it out for the same opening spot in Australia’s Test XI but neither was able to make it theirs, with Josh Hazlewood dismissing the pair three of the four times for the match.
NSW’s openers on the other hand, went big in the second innings.
Daniel Hughes brought up first-class hundred number four with 116 and Nick Larkin hit the second ton of his career.
Larkin’s pre-season was highlighted by a Future’s League 205 against Queensland in October.
Just over a month later, and he has an unbeaten 175 against the Bulls’ state side as well.
Queensland never threatened its target of 380, with Nathan Lyon picking up 5-94 and nine wickets for the match.
Jack Wildermuth was the shining light for the Bulls scoring 84 off 91, his highest score this season.
Western Australia 207 & 5-313 defeated South Australia 251 & 268 by five wickets
If it wasn’t for Shaun Marsh, South Australia’s bowlers would’ve won this match with the bat and the ball.
But Marsh produced a classic innings, an unbeaten 163, and alongside Will Bosisto (58 off 189), the pair batted for 62 overs and guided the Warriors to their 313-run target.
Test incumbent Travis Head did his chances no harm with a first-innings 87, but the Redbacks’ innings was propped up by a 79-run ninth-wicket stand from Nick Winter (53*) and Dan Worrall (31).
Jhye Richardson picked up the first five-wicket haul of his career (5-47) in what was incredibly, only his ninth first-class match.
Western Australia struggled in its first dig with Worrall proving to be the chief destroyer – he claimed a career-best 7-64.
South Australia’s middle order failed in reply, Cal Ferguson (11), Head (6) and Jake Lehmann (0) not capitalising on a good wicket.
Harry Neilsen, keeping wicket in the absence of Alex Carey, impressed with 82 though, and next to Winter (38 more runs), pushed the Warriors’ chase past 300.
Worrall got his ten wickets for the match but Lloyd Pope went wicketless and the Redbacks remain winless.
Victoria 282 & 4-276 defeated Tasmania 81 & 476 by six wickets
When a team is bowled out for 81 inside 30 overs on the opening day of the game, the match isn’t meant to go the distance.
But credit to Tasmania, who after being blasted away by Chris Tremain (5-13) and James Pattinson (3-13) in that innings, fought back to make it an interesting contest.
Only Cameron White (63) passed 50 in Victoria’s first innings, and Riley Meredith set a new PB with 4-61.
And then the runs came. Jordan Silk and Alex Doolan put on 170 for the first wicket, but both were dismissed in the 90s.
Matthew Wade’s amazing run continued by slamming 137 while Jackson Bird brought up his maiden first-class 50.
It left Victoria with 276 to get, a match that could have gone either way when White was dismissed with the score at 4-145.
Seb Gotch (66 off 100) played to his strengths, mainly his cut shot, while Matt Short (64 off 115) was so strict with his stroke play, until the final shot of the match – a six to win.
SHIELD TABLE
| Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | |
| Victoria | 3 | 1 | 0 | 27.97 |
| Western Australia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17.72 |
| New South Wales | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12.98 |
| Tasmania | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11.5 |
| South Australia | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9.14 |
| Queensland | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6.29 |
Shield top run-scorers
| Runs | Average | Highest score | |
| Alex Doolan (TAS) | 444 | 55.5 | 115 |
| Marcus Harris (VIC) | 437 | 87.4 | 250* |
| Matthew Wade (TAS) | 412 | 82.4 | 137 |
| Tom Cooper (SA) | 392 | 56 | 178 |
| Shaun Marsh (WA) | 362 | 120.7 | 163* |
Shield top wicket-takers
| Wickets | Average | Best bowling | |
| Scott Boland (VIC) | 26 | 16.7 | 7-54 |
| Chris Tremain (VIC) | 24 | 20.5 | 5-13 |
| Joe Mennie (SA) | 21 | 17.4 | 5-39 |
| Jackson Bird (TAS) | 17 | 21.8 | 5-35 |
| Trent Copeland (NSW) | 16 | 16.3 | 6-86 |
Henriques, another chance, really?
Is Doolan unlucky not to have played more for Oz?
I’d be surprised if they go for Henriques, but experience is something lacking in the Australian middle order right now.
Doolan’s a funny one – he seems to produce one massive score per season and not much else. This has been his most consistent season to date – and at 32 he could be ready for a second crack at Test cricket.