Fallen Test opener’s horror Shield return as young gun’s blunder spurns golden chance

Jake Weatherald has made a disastrous start to the Sheffield Shield season, with the former Test opener falling for a duck as Victorian debutant Harry Hoekstra rescued the hosts on a dramatic first day.

The 31-year old was dropped after just one Test in Australia’s August series against Bangladesh and missed out on a spot in the squad to tour South Africa.

His return to first-class cricket lasted only six balls before edging a perfect Hoekstra delivery behind to first-game gloveman Liam Blackford in the second over of the Redbacks’ innings.

On his South Australian return after a three-season stint in Tasmania that saw him go from fringe state cricketer to Test opener, Weatherald had been forced to negotiate a tricky nine-over period to finish the day’s play after the Redbacks bowled the Vics out for 244.

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He had earlier spilled a catch at forward square leg to round off a nightmare day.

The Redbacks reached stumps on 1/4, with Henry Hunt and Mackenzie Harvey surviving first a run out chance after a major mix-up, as well as a pair of close LBW shouts off Fergus O’Neill.

In contrast, 20-year old Hoekstra, who last week secured a maiden List A five-wicket haul for Victoria in the One-Day Cup, top-scored with 45 to salvage the Vics innings after Redbacks captain Ben Manenti won the toss and opted to field first.

The left-armer’s composed 45 off 122 balls saw him add 62 for the ninth wicket with spinner Doug Warren and ensure a competitive total, after the team had slumped to 8/173 in the afternoon session.

“You’d take Jake Weatherald as your first first-class wicket any day of the week,” Hoekstra said after play.

“The adrenaline was probably still going a bit from when I was batting, so just lucky enough to take that through and bowl a decent ball to him.

“I’m still definitely pinching myself a little bit. If you had have offered that to me at the start of the day I would have bitten your hand off for it.

“The hard part’s keeping it up now.”

Young gun Ollie Peake, though, missed his first chance to stake his Test credentials with a bizarre brain fade after a confident start.

Peake, who has broken into Australia’s ODI team in 2026 and caught the eye during white-ball series against Zimbabwe and South Africa in the last two months, had looked in exceptional touch as he made his way to 32 on a slow Junction Oval surface.

Fluently driving the Redbacks’ four-man pace attack, one cut shot flew off the middle of the 20-year old’s bat from an off-stump line, an imposing demonstration of his impeccable eye.

But on the eve of lunch, Peake fatally shouldered arms to quick Henry Thornton, with the ball cannoning into off stumps on what proved the final delivery of the session.

He wasn’t the only Victorian to throw away a start in a rematch of last season’s final, albeit with both sides fielding vastly different teams due to Test and Australia A duties.

Seven Victorians reached 20, but only one – Hoekstra – made it to 40.

Captain Peter Handscomb, who struggled with a pair in Australia A’s second unofficial ‘Test’ against India A last week, was trapped in front after a fluent 24 by impressive South Australian first-gamer Noah McFadyen, who looked well suited to the level after recently dominating the state’s Premier Cricket scene.

The 23-year old, a former member of the Brisbane Lions’ AFL Academy before going undrafted, was arguably the pick of the bowlers with 2/35 from 15 overs, while Thornton (3/51) and Doggett (3/56) also chimed in.

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Matt Short had crunched his way to 31 off just 35 balls before falling into the Redbacks’ short-ball trap, hooking Thornton to Jake Lehmann at backward square.

Debuting wicketkeeper Liam Blackford, who dazzled last month with an unbeaten century in a stunning Victorian run chase against a Marnus Labuschagne-led Queensland in the One-Day Cup, had an unluckier fate.

On 27, the left-hander drove Nathan McAndrew back towards the bowler, who gathered one-handed in his follow-through and threw the stumps down as Blackford desperately dived back into his ground.

“That’s spectacular from McAndrew!” commentator Adam White exclaimed.

Blackford had been handed his first Victorian cap by former Australian white-ball captain Aaron Finch before play, having seized his chance following experienced keeper Sam Harper’s elevation to first Australia A’s squad, and then national duty.

A flurry of wickets on either side of the lunch break saw the Vics reeling at 8/173, before Hoekstra and Warren combined for a late-day partnership to frustrate the visitors.

Each made the most of a life, with Weatherald fluffing a simple catch at forward shot leg to remove Warren and deny McFadyen a third wicket, while Hoekstra was spilled at short leg by Hunt off Doggett.

The pair added 62 before Warren was adjudged LBW to Brendan Doggett for 20.

20-year old Hoekstra, who took his maiden List A five-wicket haul for the Vics last week, grew in confidence throughout his innings, withstanding a short-ball assault from the Redbacks quicks to top-score with 45.

He was left gasping for air after a low blow from McAndrew, before holing out shortly after to end the innings.

Earlier, opener Campbell Kellaway, one of three Vics returning from Australia A duty alongside Handscomb and Fergus O’Neill, himself missed a chance to enhance his credentials for higher honours by flicking Doggett to Lehmann at square leg for 13.

Opening partner Marcus Harris fared even worse, caught at slip for 4 to hand McFadyen his first Test wicket, just days after returning from a winter spent playing for Lancashire in English county cricket.

The 34-year old returned to his customary spot at the top of the order after being moved down last Sheffield Shield season to allow new Test squad inclusion Sam Harper to open.

But having averaged just 29 last summer, Harris’ difficult start will leave him vulnerable to losing his place entirely once Harper returns from South Africa.

Victoria: Campbell Kellaway, Marcus Harris, Peter Handscomb (c), Ollie Peake, Matt Short, Liam Blackford (wk), Fergus O’Neill, Sam Elliott, Harry Hoekstra, Doug Warren, David Moody.

South Australia: Jake Weatherald, Henry Hunt, Mackenzie Harvey, Jason Sangha, Jake Lehmann, Harry Nielsen (wk), Ben Manenti (c), Noah McFadyen, Nathan McAndrew, Henry Thornton, Brendan Doggett.