Former Test paceman Peter Siddle has again proven age is no barrier as the 39-year-old ensured a weakened Victoria remains well placed after day one of their Sheffield Shield match against South Australia.
Wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the second and third sessions as South Australia ended the day 9-286 after being given first use of the Adelaide Oval batting strip by visiting captain Will Sutherland.
Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey was again among the runs while there were half centuries for Henry Hunt and Liam Scott but it was Siddle who made the day’s most decisive contribution.
Siddle struck twice in an over to remove Daniel Drew (23) and Jake Lehmann for a second duck in as many matches.
The indefatigable Siddle returned late in the day to clean bowl Scott and send the home side’s last recognised batter on his way for 53, and ended the day with 3-44 from 18 overs.
Siddle, player of the match with 5-49 against a strong New South Wales last weekend, returned to the Shield side among a host of absentees for Victoria.
Bowlers Scott Boland, Todd Murphy and Fergus O’Neill, as well as opener Marcus Harris, all missed the third round match due to Australia A commitments.
Siddle, a veteran of 67 Tests, complemented a young Victoria bowling line-up featuring the returning Cam McClure, Mitch Perry and spinner Doug Warren, who replaced Murphy.
The day began in bizarre fashion with the first ball of the match eluding wicketkeeper Sam Harper and striking the fielding helmet for five penalty runs.
Despite the early gift, South Australia were unable to score fluently and only reached a scoring rate of two runs an over in the final moments of the morning session to be 1-62 at lunch.
Conor McInerney (4) was the only batter to fall, off the bowling of Sutherland, before Siddle made his double breakthrough after the interval.
Hunt made a typically watchful 62 only to edge Warren to first slip from the first ball of the left-arm spinner’s spell.
Siddle was also in action in the field, catching the in-form Carey on the boundary off the bowling of Perry.
Carey’s knock ended on 44 as a pull shot failed to clear the narrow Adelaide Oval boundary to leave the home side at a wobbly 5-159.
Scott then played an important innings to revive South Australia, with assistance from Ben Manenti (20) and debutant Henry Thornton (22).
Sutherland returned figures of 2-50 while Warren took 2-63.
