Not so sweet 16: Clutter of wickets falls on both sides in crazy start with Shield final poised on a knife's edge

Queensland have crashed to 95 all out as South Australia made a perfect start in their quest for a first Sheffield Shield title in 29 years.

SA reached 6-158 at stumps with 19-year-old express quick Callum Vidler snaring 4-33 in just his third first-class game.

Vidler revived Queensland after they posted the smallest first innings score of any shield final – the previous low was the Bulls’ 102 against NSW in 2004/05.

The Bulls lost five top-order wickets in a seven-run span and were bowled out some 45 minutes after lunch on Wednesday’s opening day of the shield final in Adelaide.

Queensland’s total is the smallest first innings in any Shield final – their 102 against NSW in 2004/05 was the previous low.

Former Queenslander Brendan Doggett starred for SA, taking 6-31 to justify the surprise decision of captain Nathan McSweeney to bowl after winning the toss at Karen Rolton Oval.

Test mainstays Usman Khawaja (two) and Marnus Labuschagne (duck) were among the Queensland casualties.

Khawaja was dropped twice before top-edging an attempted hook shot from Doggett’s bowling, with Nathan McAndrew completing a superb catch, low-down at fine leg.

McAndrew (2-22) then struck with the ball in the next over when Labuschagne fell for a leg-side trap.

The Australian No.3, who two deliveries earlier watched a ball roll from his pads onto leg stump without dislodging a bail, flicked to leg gully where Jake Lehmann took the catch.

Next ball, Jack Clayton pushed defensively and set off for a run only to be sent back by Angus Lovell – cover fielder Liam Scott swooped, threw down the stumps, and Clayton was run out for a duck.

Five balls later, the Queensland carnage continued when Lovell (eight) edged to wicketkeeper Alex Carey from Doggett’s bowling – the Bulls had lost 4-3 in 15 balls.

And just 19 balls later, Ben McDermott (four) joined the list of batting failures when caught and bowled by Jordan Buckingham (1-11).

After being 5-64 at lunch, Doggett soon dismissed Jimmy Peirson (13) lbw and Michael Neser (34), caught at first slip by McSweeney, before McAndrew removed Jack Wildermuth (10) in the next over.

Doggett then completed his sixth five-wicket haul in first-class ranks by bowling Mitch Swepson for a duck and he ended the Queensland innings by outing Mark Steketee (12).

“It’s a pretty cool start, on a shield final hat-trick,” Doggett said.

“The game is obviously in fast-forward at the moment … but it was good to get the ball rolling with a few wickets.”

The hosts got off to a terrible start with opener Henry Hunt and captain Nathan McSweeney failing to trouble the scorers and Jason Sangha out for five as they slumped to 3-41 and then 4-65 when Conor McInerney fell for 38.

Alex Carey (24), Jake Lehmann (42 not out) and Ben Manenti (36 not out) steadied the ship but they are far from in the clear after Vidler ripped through the top order.

“Showing some pretty raw pace, it’s really exciting for us to see,” Bulls veteran Jimmy Peirson said of Vidler.

“And it’s exciting to see for Cricket Australia as well, seeing someone like that coming through, bowling that sort of pace.

“The game is alive and well. Finals are a funny thing, sometimes you just get a sniff and good Queensland teams have done that for years.”

The South Australians are seeking to collect the state’s first shield since 1995/96 while chasing an historic double – winning the red-ball and one-day competitions in the same season.

SA, who defeated Victoria in the 50-over final on March 1, have never achieved the double – Western Australia (five times), NSW (four times) and Victoria (twice) are the only states to complete the feat.

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Not so sweet 16: Clutter of wickets falls on both sides in crazy start with Shield final poised on a knife's edge

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