Smith finds form, Cummins returns, Hazlewood ill, as NSW hammer Victoria

New South Wales 336 for 8 (Gilkes 74, Maddinson 63, Smith 56, Siddle 5-49) beat Victoria 196 (Short 80, Green 3-27, Anderson 3-37) by 140 runs

Steven Smith found some form while Pat Cummins made a successful return after a long layoff as New South Wales hammered Victoria in a their One-Day Cup clash at the Junction Oval after Josh Hazlewood was a late omission when he woke up ill.

An early rain delay allowed both sides to attend a pre-match ceremony where Cricket Victoria unveiled the renamed Shane Warne stand on the western side of the ground. But shortly before that ceremony, Hazlewood walked out of the venue unaccompanied and headed back to the hotel on orders of the NSW team doctor having woken up feeling ill.

“He looked terrible this morning,” Matthew Gilkes said post-match. “I think he had a headache and he looked like death. Feel for him. Hopefully he’s resting up and getting himself better.”

He was replaced by Under-19 World Cup winner Charlie Anderson who took three wickets on his List A debut. Anderson, who was on the trip for experience only until Hazlewood was ruled out, had to wear Sam Konstas’ shirt as he did not have one made with his name on it.

Smith, Nic Maddinson and player of the match Gilkes, all made brisk half-centuries as the Blues piled up 336 for 8 from 45 overs, having been sent in after 10 overs of the match were lost. Most of Victoria’s bowlers were clobbered on a good pitch, but the veteran Peter Siddle was the exception. A month shy of his 40th birthday, Siddle took his first List A five-wicket haul in an 81-game career that has remarkably spanned 19 years. He finished with 5 for 49 in nine overs including the wickets of Smith, Gilkes, Cummins, Josh Philippe and Moises Henriques.

Victoria never got close, bowled out for 196 in reply despite a blistering 57-ball 80 from Matthew Short who was playing his first game since injuring his adductor in the last ODI of Australia’s UK tour. Short looked in supreme touch as he tuned up for Australia’s upcoming ODI series against Pakistan where he is set to open the batting in the absence of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh.

Glenn Maxwell‘s return to the Victoria senior side was not as productive. He made a run-a-ball 21 after scores of 14 and 10 in a four-day Victoria Second XI match last week. He did strike two massive sixes before falling caught behind trying to glide Anderson fine of short third.

Smith’s return to form was noteworthy after scores of 3 and 0 in the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG. He entered in the 13th over after a 73-run opening stand between Philippe and Maddinson got the Blues off to a quick start. Smith looked on-song from the outset as he struck four fours and two sixes. One was a dismissive whip off the stumps over deep midwicket. He also unfurled some brilliant lap scoops off both the quicks and the spin of Todd Murphy.

He was frustrated to be judged lbw when he missed a straight delivery from Siddle trying to whip square. Maddinson had already departed for 63 off 64. But Gilkes powered the back-end of the innings with a blistering 42-ball 74 which included eight fours and four sixes. Chris Green added 25 from 18 to close out the innings.

Short was imperious at the start of the chase smashing the first two balls of the innings for four off Cummins. He clubbed five fours and five sixes and looked unstoppable but he kept losing partners at the other end.

Cummins trapped Sam Harper lbw with an off-cutter to claim his first wicket of the season. Marcus Harris was bizarrely stumped when he failed to realise the ball had rolled behind him after an attempted sweep. Peter Handscomb and Tom Rogers both holed out before Short and Maxwell fell in quick succession as the required run-rate spiraled out of control. Green picked up two wickets late to finish with 3 for 27.