Usman Khawaja made a sensational return to Sheffield Shield cricket, scoring a brilliant century as Queensland faced Tasmania at Bellerive Oval. The experienced opener, at 38 years of age, reached his 127 runs off 174 balls, hitting 12 fours and one six. This innings marked the 43rd first-class century of Khawaja’s illustrious career.
Prior to this match, Khawaja had not played since Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka, where he achieved a remarkable career-best score of 232 in Galle. His stellar performance against Tasmania helped get the Bulls off to a solid start, although fellow top-order batsman Matt Renshaw struggled to convert his own promising beginnings into a substantial score.
Khawaja received crucial support from teammate Lachlan Hearne, who has been enjoying a dynamic start to the summer. The 24-year-old continued to impress with his form, notching a fifty by the afternoon session and remaining not out alongside Khawaja as the day’s play drew to a close. Together, they formed a formidable partnership, putting on 164 runs for the fourth wicket.
In other Sheffield Shield news, Victoria faced a tough outing against South Australia, bowled out for 285 runs. The South Australian bowling attack, led by Jordan Buckingham and Henry Thornton, proved too strong, claiming four wickets each to stifle Victoria’s innings.