On day one of the Sheffield Shield match, Western Australia (WA) reached 112 for 1 in response to Queensland’s 147. Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli excelled, claiming 7 wickets for 52 runs, marking his best first-class performance and taking seven of the last nine Queensland wickets. WA’s Sam Whiteman led with 67 runs off 88 balls, while his partner Sam Fanning contributed with a careful 30. Queensland’s top score came from Ben McDermott with 37 runs, as several batsmen struggled against Rocchiccioli and Cameron Gannon. WA aims to use this opportunity to climb the league standings with three games remaining.
Western Australia 112 for 1 (Whiteman 67) trails Queensland 147 (Rocchiccioli 7-52) by 35 runs
WA (24.91 points) currently sit last in the standings, while Queensland (27.75) is positioned third, with South Australia (36.93) leading the table. However, with three matches left—including this one—Rocchiccioli’s performance has bolstered WA’s chances of climbing the rankings.
The 27-year-old had not taken five wickets in a first-class inning before, but he spun his way to a career-defining performance, claiming seven of the last nine wickets to fall as the Queensland batsmen faltered.
Ben McDermott was the top scorer for Queensland, making 37 off 112 deliveries. Following him were No. 10 Mitchell Swepson (20 not out) and No. 8 Xavier Bartlett (20).
Matthew Renshaw, Jimmy Peirson, and Michael Neser were among those who fell cheap to Rocchiccioli and fast bowler Cameron Gannon.
Neser was dismissed following a brilliant one-handed catch from Rocchiccioli, who dove to his right from his own bowling. He also executed a remarkable diving return catch to send Renshaw back to the pavilion.
WA’s opening pair, Whiteman and Sam Fanning, capitalized on the situation with a steady partnership. Whiteman set an aggressive pace, hitting seven fours and three sixes in his 88-ball innings before being bowled by Tom Whitney roughly 25 minutes before stumps. Fanning played a more cautious role, striking two fours from his 107 deliveries.