Queensland 231 & 357 for 6 (Heazlett 118, Neser 57, Mennie 3-55) drew with South Australia 505 (Cooper 178, Lehmann 126, Doggett 4-82)
Sam Heazlett and Michael Neser followed the example set by Australia’s batsmen in the drawn Dubai Test with a Queensland rearguard that denied South Australia outright points on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.
When sometime Australian ODI batsman Heazlett was joined by the UAE tourist Neser, the Bulls still trailed by nine runs overall, with more than 40 overs left in the day and the second new ball only 14 overs old.
However, the Bulls pair were able to right the ship as SA made increasingly desperate efforts to dislodge them, at the same time scoring freely enough to build a lead that the Redbacks then needed to chase down for victory. Ultimately that pursuit did not eventuate, with SA’s captain Travis Head calling time early.
It was a significant innings for Heazlett, long thought to be a player of strong potential, while also a reminder of Neser’s ability to contribute wherever he can to a team’s cause. By contrast, the teenage wrist spinner Lloyd Pope was frustrated after his first-day heroics, ending the innings wicketless in 34 overs.
Chadd Sayers and Joe Mennie, the SA seamers who have each played one Test for Australia, provided the primary threat for the hosts, sharing the wickets of Charlie Hemphrey, Jack Wildermuth – shouldering arms to Sayers’ first delivery with the second new ball – and Jimmy Peirson before Heazlett and Neser joined forces.
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