Angus Lovell’s Maiden Century Propels Queensland to Commanding Lead Against New South Wales in Sheffield Shield Clash
Sydney, November 3, 2024 – Queensland No.3 Angus Lovell’s maiden first-class century has powered the Bulls to a commanding 167-run lead over New South Wales in their ongoing Sheffield Shield encounter at Cricket Central.
Lovell, 25, remained unbeaten on 146 as Queensland finished day three at 406 for 5, racing past New South Wales’ first-innings total of 239. The young batsman’s patient and resilient innings, which included a 310-run partnership with Ben McDermott (87), was pivotal in securing the Bulls’ dominant position in the match.
Earlier, Queensland had started the day at 96 for 2, but their top-order batsmen, including Usman Khawaja (58) and Lachlan Hearne (58), all made valuable contributions to set up their team’s impressive total. Lovell, who had earlier taken 3 for 13 with the ball, made the most of the two chances he was given, capitalizing on dropped catches by Jack Edwards and Oliver Davies to craft his maiden first-class century.
“Lovell’s unbeaten century has put us in a commanding position, and we’ll look to be aggressive on the final day to secure the win,” said Queensland captain, Marnus Labuschagne.
The Bulls’ strong performance with the bat was in stark contrast to the New South Wales bowling effort, with Test quick Josh Hazlewood unable to find a breakthrough in his 24 overs. Ryan Hadley and Tanveer Sangha were the pick of the Blues’ bowlers, picking up 2 wickets each.
With a lead of 167 runs and five wickets in hand, Queensland will look to be aggressive on the final day, aiming to set a challenging target for New South Wales and then attempt to claim the remaining 10 wickets to secure victory.
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