Test opener Chris Rogers warmed up for the Ashes series with a gritty knock of 88 in Victoria’s first innings of 236 all out at stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash with NSW on Wednesday.
Sean Abbott claimed 3-60 while fellow quick Doug Bollinger, left-arm slow bowler Steve O’Keefe and Test offspinner Nathan Lyon took two wickets each.
O’Keefe dismissed Fawad Ahmed caught at mid-wicket for 10 after a wild slog from the scheduled final ball of the day’s play, ending an 18-run partnership with Scott Boland (10 not out).
After choosing to bat first in sunny conditions at the MCG, Victoria had recovered from 2-25 to reach a painfully slow 2-59 at lunch.
The Bushrangers had lost the early wickets of Rob Quiney (six) and Peter Handscomb (nine).
In-form strokeplayer Cameron White and Rogers added 67 for the third wicket before paceman Sean Abbott yorked White (48) and Aaron Finch (0) in consecutive deliveries.
Abbott, 21, struck again with the score on 112 when Matthew Wade (nine) was caught behind attempting a hook shot.
David Hussey (13) was bowled by O’Keefe in the final over before tea and Lyon claimed John Hastings (10) stumped at 7-182.
Rogers was the eighth man out with the score on 198, dragging a short ball from Lyon onto his stumps.
In a display of determination that lasted five hours and five minutes, the 36-year-old Rogers gritted his teeth to reach just 13 at lunch and 52 at tea before opening his shoulders in the final session and hitting a total of nine fours and a six from 213 deliveries.
Bollinger (2-61) took the second new ball and removed Peter Siddle (21) caught behind, but not before the Test quick had pulled him for six earlier in the over.
No.11 batsman Ahmed, a candidate for the Test spinner’s role in Brisbane on November 21 against England, belted his rival Lyon over long-on for six in an entertaining last-wicket stand.