Melbourne [Australia], October 30 : With the first Ashes Test coming closer, veteran Usman Khawaja found some form while contenders for the second opening spot, Marnus Labuschagne and Matt Renshaw struggled on day three of the Sheffield Shield on Thursday. Nathan McSweeney, representing South Australia, registered a century to keep himself in the hunt for the second opening slot as well.
Starting day three at 349/5, New South Wales posted a total of 429/7 declared, with Steve Smith (118) and Kurtis Patterson (122) posting centuries. Queensland was solid in their response, ending their day at 238/4, trailing by 191 runs. Khawaja (87 in 127 balls, with 12 fours) had a 94-run opening stand with Matt Renshaw (29), the recent ODI debutant, while Labushagne could make just four runs. While for Labuschagne it was a small slip after two centuries each in Shield and One Day Cup cricket, Khawaja received a major confidence booster with his knock.
Khawaja had a decent start to his Shield campaign, with a 69 against Tasmania and 46, 0 against South Australia. After managing just 117 runs in six innings against West Indies and a poor ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, Khawaja would be aiming to get as much game time and scores as he could ahead of the first Ashes Test from November 21 onwards.
Previously before this failure, Labuschange had been red-hot, having made 574 runs while posting four tons in six innings and averaging 95.66.
Trailing by 92 runs against West Australia, South Australia skipper McSweeney (103 in 168 balls, with 11 fours and a six) along with Henry Hunt (84 in 197 balls, with eight fours and a six), took his side to 297/4, a lead of 205 runs.
McSweeney did not have a fine start to his Shield campaign, scoring 73 runs in four innings with the best score of 41 in the first two matches. During the second unofficial Test against India A in subcontinent conditions, he had to grind it out, scoring 74 and 85*. His three Tests came against India during Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring just 72 runs in six innings with the best score of 39.
During the clash between Victoria and Tasmania, Victoria's Campbell Kellaway (147 in 258 balls, with 16 fours and two sixes) scored a memorable century, helping his side set a 355-run target for Tasmania.
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