Beau Webster creates fresh headache with five-wicket haul; Scott Boland continues ‘stranglehold’ over Sam Konstas
Beau Webster has added to Australia’s Ashes selection headaches, taking a five-wicket haul for Tasmania in their Sheffield Shield clash against South Australia.
The big all-rounder is locked in a tight battle to claim a spot in the Test side, but did his hopes of playing for Australia no harm on Tuesday afternoon.
After already taking the prized scalp of Travis Head a day prior, Webster finished with figures of 5-50 from 13 overs as he tore through the middle and lower order.
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Alex Carey was the only Redbacks player to show some resistance, notching a half-century – but it was Webster who had the most at stake and he produced results that will make George Bailey’s life even more difficult before the Ashes series opener.
Beau Webster Getty
The man who could potentially be picked ahead of Webster however is Cameron Green, who returned to the bowling crease for WA against Queensland and made an impact.
Green dismissed opener Angus Lovell, with back-up Test keeper Josh Inglis taking the catch behind the stumps and bringing Marnus Labuschagne out to the middle.
In the other Shield game, a patient approach meant little for Sam Konstas on Tuesday afternoon, with the young gun knocked over by Scott Boland at the SCG.
The opener struggled to get his now-former Test teammate away in the first session of play but survived through to lunch alongside partner Ryan Hicks.
But once substitute player Hicks (16) fell to off-spinner Todd Murphy after the break, Konstas would soon follow when Boland produced a peach to dismiss his NSW rival.
Scott Boland celebrates the wicket of Sam konstas Getty
The ball from the Victorian split the gap between Konstas’ bat and pad as the right-hander was sent back to the pavilion for 12 off 59 balls.
Konstas has now been dismissed by Boland on six occasions at domestic level.
It continues a tough start to the season for the 20-year-old, who has struggled for runs and was left out of Australia’s squad for the first game of the Ashes series.
His departure allowed Steve Smith to trot out to the crease in Sydney and he looked to pounce immediately, dispatching a boundary from just his second ball.
Smith brought up his half-century from 75 deliveries as he gears up to take on England, but the NSW batters continued to fall around him throughout their first innings.
He was dismissed for 57 as the Blues were rolled for 128 in the final session of day two, trailing the Vics by 254 runs after a dismal first innings.
