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The former SA batsman has admitted that he benefited from white privilege during his career

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2020Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa batsman, has admitted that he might not have been picked to play for his country had it not been for white privilege.”I certainly benefited from the fact that I wasn’t really competing with 50% of the population,” Rhodes said in a recent interaction with , and in Bengaluru. “I literally was competing only with the white players.”You talk about white privilege and it raises a lot of heat and debate on social media but it is the case. I’m very aware of that. My cricketing statistics as a player were very average when I was selected.”If I was competing with the rest of the country then possibly I wouldn’t have been picked. And I would not have been diving around the field.”Rhodes was part of the first, mostly white generation of post-Apartheid South Africa internationals. The racial composition of the team has changed in the years since, with quotas coming into place for players of colour. The current transformation target for the national team is for six players of colour, including two black Africans, to feature per match, averaged over a season.Rhodes is in full support of transformation quotas.”We in South Africa have a legacy of apartheid,” he said. “How many generations does it take to address that? You still have disadvantaged communities based on race. So they might have political freedom but they don’t have economic freedom.”The process of transformation hasn’t been straightforward, with several players, mostly white, giving up on playing for South Africa in order to take up lucrative Kolpak contracts in English county cricket. This has led to a depletion in the pool of talent and experience, particularly at domestic level, which may be one of the reasons behind South Africa’s poor results over recent months.Since the start of 2019, they have lost a home Test series to Sri Lanka, failed to get past the league stage of the ODI World Cup in England, and suffered a 3-0 Test whitewash on their tour of India. They currently trail England 2-1 in a Test series at home.Rugby has had a smoother ride with transformation, and a Springboks team led by Siya Kolisi, their first black captain, and featuring six players of colour, won last year’s World Cup in Japan. Rhodes believes rugby has done a better job than cricket has of reaching out to disadvantaged communities in South Africa.”The biggest question for me is why in over 20 years have we not produced opportunities for young players in disadvantaged communities,” he said. “It’s not about racism. It’s about equal opportunity and that’s not happening.”What rugby has done well is in building their structures, working in disadvantaged areas. Cricket has a lot to learn.”

Jhye Richardson and Mitchell Marsh took five wickets between them before the Scorchers openers aced the chase

The Report by Peter Della Penna07-Jan-2020A pair of half-centuries from Sam Harper and Beau Webster were neutralised by twin fifties from Josh Inglis and Liam Livingstone as the Perth Scorchers ensured the Melbourne Renegades continued to have a bagel in the win column, registering a six-wicket triumph at Geelong. Livingstone’s 59 off 39 dominated a century stand with Inglis to put the Scorchers on course for victory with an over to spare. The result drew them back even with the Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat on the table with six points, though the latter two have a match in hand.Getty Images

The battle of the RichardsonsJhye Richardson’s performance with the new ball went a long way towards laying the foundation for the Scorchers victory. He struck on the third ball of the match, bouncing out the Renegades captain Aaron Finch who pulled to deep square leg for a golden duck. He followed it up with a wicket maiden in the third, building up dot-ball pressure on Marcus Harris that resulted in an ill-advised flick across the line to send a leading edge to Chris Jordan at mid-off. Coming back at the death, he managed to strike once more, getting Dan Christian to slice an attempted wide yorker out to Livingstone at sweeper cover.Kane Richardson did his best to match his namesake taking the new ball in reply for the Renegades, but he struggled to achieve the same results. Three overs after Livingstone had driven Richard Gleeson hard to Finch at extra cover, Kane flummoxed Inglis with a slower ball for a gentle return catch. But it was the only blow he would strike on the night, ending with expensive figures of 1 for 31 in comparison to Jhye’s 3 for 22.The battle of the Marsh brothersLittle brother Mitchell won this emphatically on the night, which also went a long way towards the Scorchers victory. In the first innings, Shaun managed just two off seven balls before pulling Mitchell’s medium-pace to Livingstone at deep midwicket. Building off of Jhye’s early double-strike, the Renegades were tied down to 3 for 48 in seven overs. It took a concerted effort from Harper and Webster to rebuild the innings with a 71-run stand. But Mitchell intervened to stunt momentum late in the innings by breaking the stand in the 16th over when he had Harper slapping a wider delivery out to Ashton Agar on the sweeper cover rope for 73 off 46.Following the century stand by Livingstone and Inglis to open the chase, Mitchell came in at No. 3 and produced a pair of nuggety stands to keep the scoreboard ticking. He added 26 for the second wicket with Inglis, then another 18 with Cameron Bancroft for the third wicket to bring the Scorchers closer to the target during his 21 off 17 balls. Mitchell eventually fell in near identical fashion to how he dismissed Harper, slapping Gleeson out to sweeper cover.Bancroft and Tim David took the Scorchers within one shot of victory during a 24-run stand. Singapore international David slaughtered a pair of sixes over midwicket and tried to end the match attempting a third but was caught on the boundary to give Gleeson a third wicket. Bancroft ended the match a few balls later, driving Gleeson to the extra-cover boundary to finish unbeaten on 24.

Ahead of Nepal’s first-ever home ODI, the legspinner hopes success in the CWC League Two competition lays the groundwork for Test cricket

Peter Della Penna03-Feb-2020Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane is hoping that success in the Cricket World Cup League Two ODI competition for Associates will lay the groundwork for a path to Test cricket for his homeland, adding that it is his dream to don the whites for Nepal.According to Lamichhane, that dream played a significant role in his decision to cut short his stint with league-leading Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League in order to return home ahead of Nepal’s first-ever home ODI, against Oman on February 5 in Kathmandu.”It’s simple. I have a dream to play Test cricket for Nepal and every little contribution from my side will go for Nepal cricket,” Lamichhane told ESPNcricinfo on Monday. “Till the day of retirement of my cricket career, I would like to play Test cricket for Nepal. I think the sight of playing Test cricket for Nepal will be amazing. I can get those vibes straight away right now, how that feeling will be in the future. Little steps will take me to that place.”As one of the most in-demand spinners in the T20 franchise circuit, the 19-year-old Lamichhane has cultivated a following that has transcended Associate cricket. After getting his first taste of franchise T20 cricket in the now-defunct Hong Kong T20 Blitz, Lamichhane became the first Nepalese player to be picked up in an IPL auction by Delhi Capitals in 2018, and has since parlayed that into opportunities in the CPL, PSL, BBL and Global T20 Canada.But even though he is earning well into the six figures when all his franchise deals are tabulated, he still has never been able to say no to playing for his country. This despite the fact that according to multiple sources, players have not been paid for more than a year while the Cricket Association of Nepal tries to recover from administrative suspension by the ICC. Part of the reason for that is the determination of Lamichhane and his teammates to lift Nepal higher up the global rankings in limited-overs formats, which he sees as a vehicle to pursue the dream of Test cricket, particularly since the four-day Intercontinental Cup competition for Associates has been quietly disbanded after Afghanistan and Ireland’s elevation to Test status in 2017.”You can’t even imagine the excitement level for all the players right now,” Lamichhane said of the build-up to Nepal’s first of four ODIs they will play against Oman and USA over the next week. “Individually, I’m really excited about these four games that are going to be played against USA and Oman, pretty important games for us [if we are to] play in the World Cup 2023. First time playing in home conditions, first-ever ODI for Nepal to host right now, so pretty excited and I’m really hoping to see more than 20,000 audience to come and cheer for Nepal.”If you see in this stadium in the sitting areas, there is no one right now, but come Wednesday it will be fully jam-packed and I can’t wait to see all those spectators who will come here and support us. It will be an amazing experience. For the four games Nepal is going to play here, it will be jam-packed.”Gyanendra Malla punches a cover drive•Peter Della Penna

The moment is just as special for captain Gyanendra Malla, who took over the captaincy reins from Paras Khadka in 2019. The 29-year-old, who made his senior team debut in 2006, says this week will be one of the highlights of his career.”When we started playing cricket, everybody wanted to get ODI status and get big cricket over here,” Malla said. “Finally, one-dayers are here in Kathmandu, one of my favourite venues. The first ODI home series, that’s one of the proudest moments for me as a captain.”I think we are one of the luckiest teams because we have very good fan following. Wherever we go as a Nepali, there are lots of Nepali supporting us. I think that craze has gone up since the [2014 T20] World Cup and then after ODI status, it’s been getting bigger and bigger. So we’re very excited about it. The fans are supporting, 15,000-plus coming here and supporting us will be a huge plus point for us playing against other sides. As an Associate nation, we are the luckiest team who have the best fan following.”

Root and Pope add unbeaten 175 for fourth wicket but COVID-19 casts some doubt over series

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Mar-2020Zak Crawley breezed his way to a fourth first-class hundred, before Joe Root and Ollie Pope finished the day in sight of their own tons as England started their four-day warm-up in brisk and impressive fashion.While the batting had also been good in the first three-day practice game, these runs came against an arguably better attack, featuring the in-form seam-bowling of Asitha Fernando, as well as the capable left-arm spin of Prabath Jayasuriya. The surface at the P Sara – generally the bounciest pitch on the island – had a covering of grass, and a bit of moisture in it in the morning.ALSO READ: Root ‘open-minded’ about conditions England expect in SLCrawley and opening partner Dom Sibley negotiated the movement off the surface early on, during the course of their 103-run stand. The pitch would dry out to play much flatter during the afternoon and evening sessions, though not to the extent that it began taking substantial turn.Crawley hit 11 fours in his innings, racing to 50 off 47 balls, before slowing down a touch, getting to his 100 off the 133rd delivery he faced. He made runs all around the ground, striking up a 72-run stand with Joe Denly after Sibley was caught at leg slip off the offspin of Ramesh Mendis for 37. Crawley would eventually be bowled for 105. He had struck at 72, and set the tone for what would turn out to be a relatively quick-scoring day.”Zak got his chance because of Rory Burns’ injury but every day he just goes out there and continues to impress,” England assistant coach Graham Thorpe said of Crawley. “Character is a lot at this level, and he has a willingness to learn quickly.”He’s nowhere near the finished article – look, he’s 22 years old – but we’re really excited about him as a player after the last three or four months around him. We hope his curve can continue to go up.”Captains Lahiru Thirimanne and Joe Root bump fists at the toss•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Crawley’s wicket, which came in the 51st over, was the last one to fall in the day. Pope, who had been promoted ahead of Ben Stokes in a move that suggests they will use him at No. 5 in the Tests as well, dovetailed nicely with Root as the pair put on an unbeaten 175 partnership. On a pitch that had now lost zip, and was offering little to the spinners, the pair were rarely troubled, as they each progressed at a strike rate of 70 or higher.Root, typically, was aggressive against the spinners, using his feet liberally, and using both the sweep and the reverse to good effect. He finished on 90 off 122, hitting eight boundaries. Pope was not shy of advancing down the track either, and made 84 not out off 120 balls.”We encourage the batsmen to be positive in their thoughts and their movements,” Thorpe said. “That way you also defend better as well. We encourage them to understand what their aggressive options are, when they feel the need to go to the next gear in a match. We want to try to be in the same sort of situations we were against South Africa. We want to score big first-innings runs because that gets us in a better position to win a Test match.”Although, for now, preparations for the Test series are continuing as usual, there has been a little doubt cast over whether the series can be played in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka currently has two confirmed COVID-19 patients, but the bigger fear may be the tightening or closing of borders, which may leave tourists – including the England team – with difficulties getting home.

Issues over hotels, and cost of taking players off furlough without ticket revenue, puts resumption in doubt

George Dobell11-Jun-2020The prospect of a domestic first-class competition in 2020 would appear to have diminished due to logistical concerns over hotels, as well as doubts among some clubs over the financial viability of a restart.While a regionally split first-class competition remains the favoured option of the Professional Game Group (PGG), an on-line meeting of the chief executives of the first-class counties on Thursday aired some continuing unease over the prospect of a return to action in August.In particular, the counties are keen not to subject their players to any danger if hotels are being used – as some are at present – by those isolating after arriving from abroad. There are also concerns over the medical resources that may be required to stage games, and a determination that the game should not divert those resources away from the wider community.Most of all, though, there are concerns over money. A small minority of counties appear reluctant to incur the costs inherent in taking their players off furlough when there is little prospect of any ticket revenue to offset the expenditure. Those who want to play point out that clubs have, at this stage, received the money that would normally have been expected from the ECB at this stage of the season and that they should, therefore, play if practically responsible.ALSO READ: Counties wait for ECB approval on August restart planAs a result, it remains possible that 50-over cricket – playable without the need for overnight stays – could return instead of the first-class game. It also remains possible that those counties with close local rivals – such as Middlesex and Surrey – could stage first-class friendlies against each other as a contingency.The regional first-class competition remains the first-choice option for most of the counties, however, and is at the centre of the proposals to be discussed by the ECB’s cricket committee on Friday. With hotels likely to open for business on July 4 and no firm decision needing to be made until mid-July, there is still optimism that the regional competition could take place.At least two more counties are planning to take their players off furlough at around the same time England’s Test series against West Indies begins in the second week of July, with others expected to follow. One or two others are reluctant to do so, however, for fear of incurring costs they might struggle to afford. As a consequence, there is a concern their players would not have time to regain match fitness ahead of a potential restart in August.There is, perhaps, a more far reaching relevance here. The pandemic would appear to have exposed divides in the domestic game, with the more affluent 14 or so counties starting to lose patience with those struggling to keep their heads above water. If there is a decision to proceed with a first-class competition without a small number of counties – a scenario which would require a vote – it could set a precedent. Should the ECB executive decide that this was the time to attempt to trim the number of first-class counties, they might find less resistance than at any time in many, many years.

Riaz replaces Haris Sohail while Ahmed slots in as the second-choice wicketkeeper

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2020Pakistan have announced a 20-man shortlisted squad for the three-Test series against England starting August 5. The experienced pair of Wahab Riaz and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed have returned to the Test set up, while middle-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed has been left out.Initially, the PCB had announced a combined squad of 29 players for both Tests as well as the three T20Is that follow.There were expectations of Ifthikar replacing Haris Sohail, who had chosen to pull out of the tour due to concerns about the pandemic. Meanwhile, Riaz had expressed his willingness to return to the longest format last month after opting out of Test cricket indefinitely last year, and has eventually found a place in the squad.Former captain Sarfaraz, who was sacked from Test and T20I captaincy the previous October, is the second choice wicketkeeper in the squad, behind the younger Mohammad Rizwan, who also toured Australia last year and played Bangladesh at home this February.Also included is the uncapped Kashif Bhatti, although he is likely to be behind Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan in the spin-bowler pecking order, as well as Fawad Alam, whose last Test appearance came in 2009.The first Test will be played at Old Trafford, with the next two games will be played in Southampton before the T20Is start on August 28.Pakistan squad: Azhar Ali (c), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan Sr, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah

Derbyshire left-hander scores 130, shares 10th-wicket stand of 80 with Sam Connors

ECB Reporters Network02-Aug-2020Nottinghamshire 324 (Hameed 68, Patel 63, Nash 59) and 84 for 3 (Hameed 30*, Mullaney 27*) lead Derbyshire 239 (du Plooy 130) by 169 runs A century from Leus du Plooy has left the Bob Willis Trophy match between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in the balance after two days at Trent Bridge.The South African left-hander scored 130, which included 17 fours and three sixes, off 177 balls and shared a 10th-wicket stand of 80 with Sam Connors, a Derbyshire record against Nottinghamshire.It lifted his team to 239, 85 runs behind, and Connors then took 3 for 19 in eight overs before Nottinghamshire recovered to 84 for 3 , a lead of 169, with the North Group game intriguingly poised.There were times when Nottinghamshire threatened to take complete control only for a combination of superb batting and indifferent bowling to turn the contest.Jake Ball swept aside Derbyshire’s top order in a fine opening spell only for du Plooy and Matt Critchley to regroup before a post-lunch collapse saw Nottinghamshire regain the initiative.At 159 for 9, Derbyshire were on the ropes but Connors played resolutely while du Plooy ruthlessly put away the bad balls of which there were too many as Notts persisted with short-pitch bowling.Even Ball, so relentless in his line at the start of the day, lost control as du Plooy lofted him over long-on to reach his century and later pulled and drove him for two more sixes.The pair passed Derbyshire’s previous 10th wicket record against their neighbours of 74 at Ilkeston in 1969, increasing Nottinghamshire’s frustration with every delivery, when du Plooy tried to hit Samit Patel over the top and Joey Evison ran back from mid off to hold a diving catch.Under normal circumstances, du Plooy would have walked off to a standing ovation but the applause of all the Notts players acknowledged the quality of his innings.They would have expected to be batting again long before tea when first Ball removed Luis Reece, Billy Godleman and Wayne Madsen in four overs from the Radcliffe Road End and then six wickets fell for 40 runs in the afternoon.A farcical run out first ball after lunch started the slide with Critchley stranded at his partner’s end although it needed a smart reaction from Steven Mullaney to break the stumps after a wretched throw from midwicket threatened to reprieve the batsman.Evison had Harvey Hosein and Fynn Hudson-Prentice lbw in quick succession before Mattie McKiernan was smartly caught at gully and it looked as if du Plooy would be stranded when Tom Barber removed Michael Cohen and Ben Aitchison to claim his maiden first-class wickets.But Connors stood firm as du Plooy combined orthodox strokes with one-day improvisation to score 69 in 19 overs and the momentum remained with Derbyshire in the evening session.Chris Nash and Haseeb Hameed shared a century opening stand on the first day but when Nash tried to pull the second ball from Connors, he got a bottom-edge into his stumps.Ben Duckett looked in good touch until he tried to turn Connors off his hip and was caught behind down the leg side and in the fast bowler’s next over, Joe Clarke walked across and was lbw although his reaction suggested he thought the ball was missing leg stump.Another wicket would have really set nerves jangling in the Notts dressing room but Haseeb Hameed and Mullaney played calmly through the remaining 14 overs.

Reassured by the board, he now has his eyes on the back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022

Andrew McGlashan21-Aug-2020Andrew Tye was overcome with emotion and broke down on the phone when he suffered an elbow injury last year, which ruled him out for most of the season, but conversations with the Australia selectors gave him belief that he would get another chance at the top level.Now, Tye has been included in Australia’s 21-man squad for the limited-overs tour of England, which could see him return to the side after nearly two years. Tye last played for Australia in November 2018, but was part of the T20I squad early last summer against Sri Lanka when he went down injured during training before the series began. Subsequent surgery meant he missed the BBL for Perth Scorchers.Covid-19 has since put paid to any off-season cricket for him, with the IPL delayed – Tye will join Rajasthan Royals in the UAE after the England tour – and a county deal with Gloucestershire shelved, which meant last October’s Marsh Cup was the last time he performed at the professional level, although he did manage to play club cricket late last summer.”When I first did [the injury], it was definitely the toughest; I broke down on the phone crying to my partner,” Tye said. “I’d worked so hard to get back in the team and then this happened. It was a tough summer watching a lot of cricket and not playing, being frustrated at the injury which wasn’t coming along quite as quickly as it could and getting close to playing the back-end of the Big Bash.”Since all that I’ve had a lot of time at home and really enjoyed it. It’s been the best preparation really, the longest time in ten years I’ve spent at home. [I’ve] had a nice pre-season and slowed things down once there was no IPL. It’s given me a real good chance to make sure my body is in the best shape it can be.”While the time sidelined was difficult, he had been given early reassurances that he would remain firmly in Australia’s T20I plans and now has his eyes on the back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022.”When I injured myself, it was a possibility I wouldn’t get back in,” he said. “I was hopeful, though, that there would still be a chance and they would give me a crack to get my spot back. Then when the coronavirus happened. You are uncertain and you just never know, so [I am] very pumped to be back in Australia colours.”I have every faith in the Aussie set-up that they would have given me every chance to get back. From what they had communicated after I injured my elbow, [they said] we had picked you in the strongest possible T20 team; you will get a chance to get back. It’s a great opportunity to put my best foot forward for the next couple of years.”Andrew Tye could play for Australia after a gap of almost two years•Getty Images

During the winter, Tye also lost his contract with Western Australia after the state decided he was not in their red-ball plans – Tye has only played nine first-class matches and none since February 2018. However, everything was done with very open communication and on good terms, with Tye saying he was treated as though he was still on Western Australia’s list.”I’m very faithful to WA, they have looked after me incredibly well over the years and I always want to play for them as much as I can,” he said. “They have said to me they don’t have me in their plans for red-ball but am very much in their white-ball team, so this year I got squeezed out. I’m just glad they could keep one of the younger guys on and give them a chance, the same way they gave me a chance.”He believes his bowling – known for his range of variations such as the knuckle ball – “feels the best it ever has” and he has used the downtime of recent months to make some small technical changes working closely with Western Australia bowling coach Matt Mason. “I believe that the changes that I’ve made can only help my game so I’m really excited by it and hopefully it makes my variations even better,” he said.Although Tye is unlikely to be in Australia’s initial planning for the ODI side, the tour may also be a chance to revive his career in that format which is stalled on seven caps, all of which have come against England. The last of those was on the previous tour in 2018, in the match at Trent Bridge, where the home side racked up a world record 481 for 6 with Tye going none for 100 off nine overs – the second-most expensive figures for Australia in ODI cricket.”I quite often get reminded of it,” he said. “I see it as a good challenge, my last game there probably wasn’t the greatest. It’s a good challenge to come back and learn from those lessons.”

The Australian hurt his ankle during the team’s IPL opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Sep-2020Mitchell Marsh has become the first player to be ruled out of IPL 2020 because of injury, and West Indies allrounder Jason Holder has been named as his replacement at the Sunrisers Hyderabad.Marsh hurt his right ankle during the Sunrisers’ first match of the tournament, on September 21 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. This is the second time in the last five years that Marsh has had to abort the tournament because of injury – in 2017, a shoulder problem cost him the entire IPL season for the Rising Pune Supergiants.Marsh was picked by the Sunrisers for his base price of INR 2 crore ($281,000 approx.) last December, and on fresh pitches, in conditions favouring fast bowlers in the first phase of this IPL in the UAE, Marsh was expected to be a first-choice player for the Sunrisers with his all-round skills.ALSO READ: IPL 2020 – injurywatchThis will be Holder’s second stint with the Sunrisers (after 2014-15) and fourth overall in the IPL. Holder has previously featured for the Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders.Despite being one of the top allrounders in Test cricket, Holder has failed to impose himself in limited-overs cricket over the years, and while he remains the Test captain for West Indies, he lost the white-ball captaincy to Kieron Pollard last year.In the December 2019 IPL auction, Holder had put his base price at INR 75 lakh ($100,000 approx.), but went unsold more than once. More recently Holder led the Barbados Tridents in the CPL 2020, where they finished fifth in the six-team table. Holder scored 192 runs at a strike rate of 140.14, and also picked up ten wickets at an economy rate of 6.63, while also bowling the most maidens in the competition (four).According to the Covid-19 protocols put in place by the IPL, Holder would need to undergo the mandatory six-day quarantine and clear the testing process before he can join the Sunrisers’ squad.Williamson, Rashid fit for action
Although Marsh’s exit will force them to rework their plans, the Sunrisers have Kane Williamson available for selection for their second match, against the Kolkata Knight Riders on September 26. Williamson, who had picked a quadriceps injury during training before the first game, is understood to be fit.In another boost for the team, Rashid Khan is understood to not be suffering from concussion. He ran into team-mate Abhishek Sharma while completing a run during the chase in the Royal Challengers match and ended up on the floor. Though he continued to bat, there was a question mark around him.

Mitchell Swepson will be key for Queensland as they try to defend 206 on the final day

Andrew McGlashan01-Nov-2020A gripping final day was in prospect at Karen Rolton Oval after a magnificent seam-bowling exhibition by Trent Copeland, who took 5 for 17 in 18 overs, left New South Wales chasing 206 but they lost three wickets in a tense last session as Queensland ensured they had to fight for every run.The first innings ended with a narrow 15-run advantage to Queensland, but that was soon negated by Copeland’s new-ball spell which read an astonishing 10-9-2-3 when he was finally rested. When he later picked up his fifth wicket – Kurtis Patterson taking a stunning one-handed catch at second slip – he had 5 for 6 in his 14th over.Copeland’s scalps included Marnus Labuschagne for a duck – trapping him lbw for the second time in the game – and he also removed incumbent Test opener Joe Burns without scoring. Of Australia’s current Test XI playing in the Sheffield Shield, Burns’ returns with the bat have been the least convincing so far. The final round of games could be vital to his prospects of facing India.When Copeland had Bryce Street caught behind – after the opener had been roughed up by Mitchell Starc – Queensland were 3 for 30 but for the next 33 overs they rebuilt through Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw although it was not always convincing with both batsmen tested by short bowling.Copeland returned to find Khawaja’s outside edge which was the start of four wickets falling for 23 runs as Queensland looked unlikely to post a target near 200. Nathan Lyon made his first incisions of the game, bowling Jimmy Peirson when he missed a sweep and getting Michael Neser caught a leg slip when he inside-edged a drive.But Mark Steketee took the long handle to Lyon, hitting him six, four, six in consecutive deliveries, while Jack Wildermuth also played a valuable hand and Mitchell Swepson chipped in before picking out third man.Wildermuth was handed the new ball ahead of Steketee or Xavier Bartlett and the move worked when Nick Larkin edged to second slip. Steketee claimed the key wicket of Patterson, who got inside edge into the stumps, and when Moises Henriques fell sweeping to Swepson for the second time in the match things were very unsteady for New South Wales at 3 for 48.Daniel Hughes and Daniel Solway made it to the close but with Swepson’s threat on a wearing surface the game remained too tight to call.