After suspecting they were victims of daylight robberies, South Australia’s bowlers turned into night-time stranglers of NSW in their Sheffield Shield match.
The Blues were 9-227 at stumps on Saturday’s opening day at Adelaide Oval after a final-session collapse in the day-night fixture.
From a powerful 1-147, NSW struggled from dusk onwards: they lost 8-77 against a disciplined Redbacks bowling attack inspired by captain Johan Botha.
The South African-born spinner took 5-34 from 29 miserly overs, quick Joe Mennie claimed 2-36, while paceman Chadd Sayers and Daniel Worrall picked up a wicket each.
Blues opener Nick Larkin top-scored with 78 and first drop Scott Henry made 56 – they put on 110 for the second wicket before both fell to rash shots.
Henry smacked an innocuous Botha ball straight to short cover to end his knock.
And Botha, in his next over, dismissed Larkin when the polished right-hander tried to cut a short, wide delivery but feathered an edge to wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman – one of the gloveman’s five catches on the day.
The dismissals were the first and second in a costly slide, and also placated a Redbacks outfit seething at having a string of lbw shouts refused earlier in the day.
The trend started in the third over when Ryan Carters appeared to be trapped plumb in front by Sayers, only for New Zealand umpire Wayne Knights to inexplicably decline the appeal.
Sayers’ mood didn’t improve in the middle session when he had two lbw shouts against Larkin rejected by the same umpire – replays showed the batsman was extremely fortunate to survive both.
Larkin kept his cool and produced a patient 173-ball innings, highlighted by some sweet offside drives, until his untimely demise.
Botha and Mennie then turned the screws under lights, with the Redbacks seeking consecutive home wins, after downing Queensland by eight wickets in their season opener.