In the Sheffield Shield final, Marnus Labuschagne found himself in a remarkable yet ultimately futile situation. Early in his innings, he dodged dismissal when a ball struck the stumps but failed to knock the bails off, offering him a rare stroke of luck. However, his fortune was short-lived as he was dismissed for a duck just moments later by Nathan McAndrew.
Commentators noted the ball had hit the stumps with considerable force, highlighting the unexpected nature of Labuschagne’s near miss. The early stages of the match proved challenging for the Queensland side, with both Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja falling victim to poor shot selections. Khawaja, in particular, managed only two runs from 28 balls before being caught in the deep after a peculiar shot.
South Australia had won the toss and opted to field, a decision that initially appeared to favour them as they capitalised on early wickets. Not only did Labuschagne and Khawaja falter, but Jack Clayton was also run out without scoring, and Angus Lovell was dismissed after contributing just eight runs.
With South Australia dominating proceedings, the Queensland team’s batting lineup faced significant pressure right from the outset.