Mitchell Starc records his career best FC figures of 8/73

Mitchell Starc is gearing up for the Ashes series with some stupendous spell of bowling in the first round of the Sheffield Shield 2017/18. The left-arm pacer bagged eight wickets in South Australia’s the 2nd innings for New South Wales in the game played at the Adelaide Oval. The day/night fixture played with the pink ball witnessed the home side being dominated by NSW  filled with Australian Internationals.

After electing to bat first, South Australia were bowled out for just 92 runs in their first innings with the New South Wales’ pacers Starc (2/46), Pat Cummins (2/22) and Trent Copeland taking all ten wickets between themselves. Copeland recorded figures of 6/24 in his 13.3 overs which included the wickets of Travis Head, Callum Ferguson, Tom Cooper and Adam Zampa.

David Warner walked out to bat for NSW on his 31st birthday and scored 83 to hand his team a first innings lead. The much talked Daniel Hughes scored 57 batting at No.6 to push the total 242 and a lead of 150 runs. The home side’s openers John Dalton and Jake Weatherald put on 137 for the first wicket before Nathan Lyon dismissed Weatherald. Starc’s devastation began after the partnership was broken and he dismissed Dalton and Head in consecutive deliveries.

Travis Head bagged a golden duck was bowled by a terrific delivery from the left-arm pacer. He cleaned up Jake Lehmann cheaply before the end of the 2nd day. New South Wales needed mere 13 overs on the 3rd day to wrap up the South Australia’s innings as Starc picked up five out of the remaining six wickets while Lyon picked the wicket on Callum Ferguson.

The Australian pace spearhead ended up with figures of 24.4-3-73-8, the first time he has ever taken more than six wickets in an FC innings. Starc’s 8/73 are the 2nd best figures for an NSW bowler at Adelaide after Billy O’Reilly’s 9/41 in 1937 and also the 2nd best bowling figures for NSW against South Africa in the last 75 years after Bob Holland’s 9/83 in 1984.

South Australia were bowled out for 206 in their 2nd innings leaving a 57-run target for the visitors. The star-studded NSW line-up lost four wickets before chasing down the total. The Australia and NSW captain Steven Smith managed to score only three and nine runs respectively in the game and was mediocre while fielding as well.