Victoria restrict NSW to 317 as Waugh fails

Victoria 0 for 19 trail New South Wales (Katich 76, Jaques 56, Haddin 50) 317 by 298 runs
Scorecard

Mick Lewis took 4 for 68 for Victoria, including the wicket of Steve Waugh for 7, to restrict New South Wales to 317 on the opening day of the Pura Cup match at Newcastle. Simon Katich continued his good form with 76, and Phil Jaques weighed in with 56, before Victoria closed on 19 for 0.

While the SCG is Waugh's field of dreams, Newcastle No.1 Sports Ground has become his nightmare. Waugh's meagre innings not only deflated an eager crowd of 6,231, boosted by local grade cricket being called off for the occasion, but also left Waugh with a horrible record on a pitch he's described as among the best he's seen.

Waugh, having flayed bowling attacks all over the world, has recorded only 157 runs from his 13 innings at Newcastle at the unfathomably poor average of 13.08. Given out by umpire Steve Davis for a thin edge off Lewis, Waugh was unimpressed, and hesitated before leaving.

Only Katich, Jaques and Brad Haddin, who scored 50, offered any real resistance to the steady and combative Victorian attack, who succeeded in getting under the skin of the other Waugh, Mark. He became involved in discussions with Cameron White, Victoria's captain, after taking an extra run when a throw at the stumps rebounded off his body.

Waugh, who appeared to be telling the Victorians he had tried to get out of the way, departed two overs later for 20 - an innings which again promised so much, but delivered so little as he gave Shane Harwood a simple catch at mid-off off Allan Wise.

NSW were cruising at 1 for 101, but lost Jaques and allrounder Dominic Thornely in the over before lunch, both falling to Andrew McDonald. The crowd thinned in the afternoon after the departure of Steve Waugh, who had spent time earlier in the day with Vicky Carlyle, an elderly local lady with terminal cancer who had requested a meeting with her idol.

Lewis was the pick of the Victorian bowlers with his four wickets, while White recovered from conceding four straight boundaries to Katich in his opening over to finish with 2 for 72.