Queensland Trails New South Wales in Rain-Hit Sheffield Shield Clash
Usman Khawaja’s resilient half-century provided a beacon of hope for Queensland on a rain-marred second day of their Sheffield Shield encounter against New South Wales at Cricket Central in Sydney.
Despite the inclement weather, Khawaja, a Test opener, showcased his unwavering form, guiding Queensland’s response to New South Wales’ first-innings total of 239. However, the match was severely disrupted by persistent rain, with only one delivery bowled across the final two sessions.
By the time play was abandoned late on Saturday, Queensland had reached 96 for 2, trailing by 143 runs. Khawaja’s contribution of 58 runs, including two towering sixes, was the highlight of the day’s play.
However, Khawaja’s innings was not without controversy. New South Wales’ Ryan Hadley believed he had caught Khawaja at fine leg off Tanveer Sangha’s bowling, but the umpires ruled in favor of the batsman after consulting with each other. Khawaja had also survived an lbw appeal from Josh Hazlewood earlier in his innings.
Hazlewood and Jack Edwards combined to bowl six consecutive maiden overs at the start of the day, but Matt Renshaw finally broke the shackles with a thick edge to the boundary. However, Renshaw’s bid to reclaim his Test spot was cut short when he was trapped lbw by Sangha for 25.
The wet conditions forced the second session to be delayed, and only one ball was bowled before rain halted play once again. That crucial delivery saw Khawaja edge Edwards to Ollie Davies in the slips, leaving Queensland with a mountain to climb in the remaining days of the match.
