Shaun Marsh and Hilton Cartwright were meant to spend Sunday making their bids for Australia's Ashes Test team, but Josh Hazlewood obliterated that plan in a devastating 10-minute run.
The Aussie Test quick claimed 3-0 in a stunning 11-ball stretch midway through his opening spell, taking down Cartwright, Marsh and his brother Mitchell to leave Western Australia 3-8 on day two of their Sheffield Shield clash with NSW in Sydney.
Cameron Bancroft (41 not out) and Ashton Turner (52) eventually got the Warriors to 4-102 in reply to the Blues' 270 when bad light ended play at Hurstville Oval, but Hazlewood's 3-13 from nine overs was the story of the day.
On return from a side strain, he first had Shaun Marsh caught behind for two when he tried to square drive a full delivery but only managed to edge it to Peter Nevill.
Marsh was the leading run-scorer in the recent domestic one-day cup competition as he pushed to fill the Australian No.6 batting spot for the Ashes, and he scored 63 and 11 in the first round of the Shield against Tasmania last week.
Cartwright then fell for a duck in Hazlewood's next over when he was trapped lbw playing across the line to a ball that jagged back, before Mitchell Marsh was bowled driving a ball that moved back between bat and pad for zero.
In just minutes, Steve Smith's hopes that someone would stand up and make an irresistible case for the No.6 spot were dashed.
"There was a little bit of swing and nip with the brand new ball," Hazlewood said.
"The rhythm felt really nice from that end ... Things feel good.
"There were a couple of decent ones to Mitch and Hilton nipping back in."
Fellow quick Pat Cummins (1-17) claimed Turner's wicket, while Mitchell Starc (0-34) swung the new ball dangerously.
Marsh and Cartwright's failures came without a national selector at the ground as Mark Waugh was absent, but followed on from the disappointments of fellow Test hopefuls Daniel Hughes, Kurtis Patterson and Nevill in NSW's first innings.
Hughes (25) and Patterson (36) both went pulling Jhye Richardson (4-47) on day one, before Nevill snicked off to the WA quick in the second over of the rain-affected second morning for 32.
Nevill's score trumped rival wicketkeeper Matthew Wade's nine and 17 in Hobart this weekend, but came as Australia's former skipper Michael Clarke called for the Tasmanian incumbent to retain his Test spot.
Share
