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Nic Maddinson’s destructive form continued in Bristol, belting 181 to put Australia A in command on day one.
Scores: Australia A 4-331 decl. (Maddinson 181, Hughes 47) lead Gloucestershire 5-104 by 227 runs. On a day where the Miami Heat won back-to-back NBA championships, so too did Maddinson record consecutive first-class hundreds.
More impressive is the way he’s made the twin tons. Backing up from his 57-ball effort against Ireland, Maddinson laced the Gloucs offence all over Bristol.
Fortunately, construction crews were on hand to help mend the destruction Maddinson was causing. Twice balls were lost in the construction site – both gigantic straight hits.
Maddinson nearly reached a rare double-double in cricket: 10 fours and 10 sixes. He fell one six short, but the 22 boundaries he muscled more than made up for it.
His penchant for long bombs outside the arc had the crowd ducking for cover and wanting more.
So fast was his scoring rate that if he’d batted the day, 300 was on the cards.
His first 50 came from 46 deliveries. His next – 60 balls. His next? 20 balls!
A timeout for drinks during the morning term slowed him a little (that sluggish 60-ball fifty) as the hosts adjusted their game plan. It didn’t last long.
A huge appeal for caught-behind was turned down by umpire Peter Willey early-ish in his innings, gutting the bowlers and captain Michael Klinger.
Once he raised three figures he really let them have it, powering a further seven fours and half-a-dozen sixes before eventually skying one and perishing just over halfway through the day.
His rate of scoring, aided sufficiently by Jordan Silk (41) and Phil Hughes (47), progressed the game so quickly that skipper Steve Smith had the option of declaring at tea.
He did just that and was rewarded with five evening wickets.
The other MVP of the day was Chadd Sayers, who could be excused for not grabbing the headlines his high profile teammates attracted.
Twice he removed the bails of the opposing batsman – the first victim playing no shot, the second had his off-peg uprooted.
When captain Klinger – Gloucestershire’s best batsman – chipped Sayers to mid-on the hosts were in real trouble.
What they didn’t need then was a returning Ryan Harris to start finding form.
Harris produced a perfect outswinger to remove Dan Housego caught-behind, then had one raise sharply to Guy Roderick only to be put down behind the wicket.
Ashton Agar secured the fifth wicket of the evening via a friendly full-toss to Dan Christian, who was livid when he hit it straight to Maddinson at mid-wicket.
Only a late resistance from the home side prevented a complete whitewash on day one.
Australia A’s goal is to win cricket games and today proved how serious they are about completing it.
Not-so-friendly weather is forecast over the coming days, hurting the visitors’ chances of three from three. (CA website)
Scores: Australia A 4-331 decl. (Maddinson 181, Hughes 47) lead Gloucestershire 5-104 by 227 runs. On a day where the Miami Heat won back-to-back NBA championships, so too did Maddinson record consecutive first-class hundreds.
More impressive is the way he’s made the twin tons. Backing up from his 57-ball effort against Ireland, Maddinson laced the Gloucs offence all over Bristol.
Fortunately, construction crews were on hand to help mend the destruction Maddinson was causing. Twice balls were lost in the construction site – both gigantic straight hits.
Maddinson nearly reached a rare double-double in cricket: 10 fours and 10 sixes. He fell one six short, but the 22 boundaries he muscled more than made up for it.
His penchant for long bombs outside the arc had the crowd ducking for cover and wanting more.
So fast was his scoring rate that if he’d batted the day, 300 was on the cards.
His first 50 came from 46 deliveries. His next – 60 balls. His next? 20 balls!
A timeout for drinks during the morning term slowed him a little (that sluggish 60-ball fifty) as the hosts adjusted their game plan. It didn’t last long.
A huge appeal for caught-behind was turned down by umpire Peter Willey early-ish in his innings, gutting the bowlers and captain Michael Klinger.
Once he raised three figures he really let them have it, powering a further seven fours and half-a-dozen sixes before eventually skying one and perishing just over halfway through the day.
His rate of scoring, aided sufficiently by Jordan Silk (41) and Phil Hughes (47), progressed the game so quickly that skipper Steve Smith had the option of declaring at tea.
He did just that and was rewarded with five evening wickets.
The other MVP of the day was Chadd Sayers, who could be excused for not grabbing the headlines his high profile teammates attracted.
Twice he removed the bails of the opposing batsman – the first victim playing no shot, the second had his off-peg uprooted.
When captain Klinger – Gloucestershire’s best batsman – chipped Sayers to mid-on the hosts were in real trouble.
What they didn’t need then was a returning Ryan Harris to start finding form.
Harris produced a perfect outswinger to remove Dan Housego caught-behind, then had one raise sharply to Guy Roderick only to be put down behind the wicket.
Ashton Agar secured the fifth wicket of the evening via a friendly full-toss to Dan Christian, who was livid when he hit it straight to Maddinson at mid-wicket.
Only a late resistance from the home side prevented a complete whitewash on day one.
Australia A’s goal is to win cricket games and today proved how serious they are about completing it.
Not-so-friendly weather is forecast over the coming days, hurting the visitors’ chances of three from three. (CA website)
