Seccombe prevails on last ball after eventful day
Roger Vaughan - Cricinfo
Queensland wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe endured a dramatic start to the Pura Cup cricket match against Victoria today at the Junction Oval.
The match was evenly poised tonight, after Seccombe caught Cameron White for five off James Hopes on the last ball of the day to leave the Bushrangers 6-255 in their first innings.
As the Bulls warmed up this morning, Seccombe received word his baby daughter Elizabeth was ill back in Brisbane.
Match officials and the Victorians were told Seccombe might have to withdraw to make an emergency flight home.
But he received word around the time play started that the illness was not as serious as first thought.
Seccombe took three catches, but his dropped chance off centurion Matthew Elliott could prove costly.
Elliott was 44 when he attempted a pull shot off paceman Joe Dawes.
The ball ballooned off a top edge and Seccombe misjudged the flight, lunging forward unsuccessfully at the last second and possibly not even touching the ball.
Dawes and Seccombe finally combined to dismiss Elliott with the first delivery of the second new ball, but he had scored his 25th century for Victoria and was out for 106.
"He doesn't miss a thing, he took a blinding catch earlier in the day (to dismiss Jason Arnberger), so I sort of had my pads off," Elliott said of Seccombe.
"I don't even think it was a dropped catch in the end, so I was a bit fortunate there."
Elliott gave several chances and admitted he endured some "really scratchy patches".
But he opened up after tea, scoring eight of his 12 boundaries to increase the run rate.
The two sides felt honours were shared and agreed White's wicket on the last ball could prove a turning point Queensland's way.
In-form batsman Jon Moss is not out 20 and the Victorians need him to combine with the tailenders to push the total towards 350.
Elliott said the pitch was not a "road", explaining some deliveries were lifting sharply.
The ball which dismissed Elliott certainly took him by surprise as it nicked his glove.
Dawes was the pick of the bowlers with 3-50, but Cricket Australia contracted player Ashley Noffke also impressed in his first state game for the season.
Noffke returned from English cricket with a back injury, but impressed Elliott with his 0-45 from 23 overs as national chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns watched.
"I was surprised, on a limited preparation, how well he bowled," Elliott said of Noffke.
"He didn't really look to me like he was struggling at all."
White won the toss and he will form a double leg-spin attack with Bryce McGain as the pitch takes more turn.
Elliott was the only top-order batsman to make the most of his good start.
Fellow opener Arnberger (35), Brad Hodge (42) and David Hussey (34) all seemed set for big scores.
Victoria v Queensland - Pura Cup
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Sultan of spin
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Donny
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Roach is 42 n.o. at lunch and Victoria is 7/361.
Although the scoring rate slowed down after Moss departed, 106 for the session was good.
The Vics should either declare now or come back out and thrash but, because of their 6 point advantage over the Bulls (from their first match), they may just try and eke out as many runs as possible and make it a first innings points battle.
Although the scoring rate slowed down after Moss departed, 106 for the session was good.
The Vics should either declare now or come back out and thrash but, because of their 6 point advantage over the Bulls (from their first match), they may just try and eke out as many runs as possible and make it a first innings points battle.
Donny.
It's a game. Enjoy it.
It's a game. Enjoy it.
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zoia
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