'Famous victory': Epic Sheffield Shield win sparks wild celebrations
Queensland have rallied from a precarious position after tea on day three to beat Victoria in a Sheffield Shield boilover.
The dramatic finish at the MCG means reigning champions Victoria remain mired at the bottom of the ladder with no wins so far this season.
Legspinner Mitchell Swepson trapped Jon Holland lbw for a duck with seven balls left late on Friday to secure the 60-run win.
Holland and fellow tailender Chris Tremain (18 not out) had hung on grimly for nearly nine overs.
But it was ultimately to no avail as first innings hat-trick hero Swepson again proved the Victorians’ undoing.
The Bulls had eight men crowded around Holland in their desperate attempt to pick up the decisive final wicket.
In the end, the leggy didn’t need any of them as his wicked sliding delivery trapped the Victorian on the pads.
The wicket sparked wild celebrations from the Bulls players, who came rushing in to congratulate the spinner.
Commentators described it as “famous victory” for the Queenslanders and fans were equally as impressed on social media.
Great win lads. Awesome comeback.
— Tristo (@tristo1321) November 15, 2019
What a WIN!!!!! Bloody brilliantly played by the @qldcricket Bulls!!! Always a massive result to go to the G and come home with the points!!! #cricket #bulls #sheffieldshield
— Stephen Humphreys (@shumpty77) November 15, 2019
Congrats to @qldcricket Players, Coaches, Support Staff and Team Management.
Excellent All-round performance from Mark Stekette.
Excellent bowling Swepson. (7 Wickets in Match)#SheffieldShield— JaayShaan(Shankar) (@JaayShaan) November 15, 2019
Sheffield Shield can be just as epic as Test cricket and thank you to the @CricketNetwork for streaming every game this summer. A great finish at the MCG today.
— Rick Eyre on cricket (@rickeyrecricket) November 15, 2019
Incredible scenes at the @MCG!! Queensland never looked like defeating Victoria, but hat-trick hero Mitch Swepson takes the final wicket in the second-last over of the day#SheffieldShield #VICvQLD pic.twitter.com/Fg6N9r03tF
— 🏏FlashScore Cricket Commentators🏏 (@FlashCric) November 15, 2019
Good on Mitch Swepson. Fell out of the Bulls one-day side start of the summer, has a career game here to bowl Queensland to victory in the final hour. Sensational win, coming from a long way back, thrilling ending #SheffieldShield #VICvQLD
— Corbin Middlemas (@CorbinMiddlemas) November 15, 2019
Sensational win from Queensland at the MCG. One of the better comebacks in living Sheffield Shield memory. As for Victoria, yikes.
— Daniel Cherny 📰 (@DanielCherny) November 15, 2019
Good game for cricket.
Bad game for Victoria. #SheffieldShield #VICvsQLD— Kirsty Trimper (@ktrimpie) November 15, 2019
Cracking game of #SheffieldShield at the MCG. Big ✅ for first pitch of the summer for Matt Page and crew. Good signs for Boxing Day
— Andrew McCormack (@_AMcCormack7) November 15, 2019
Fantastic game of #SheffieldShield cricket, and finally a result at the MCG 🏏 pic.twitter.com/IfAOuemZZk
— Dan (@DanielMcLean40) November 15, 2019
It is Victoria's third loss from four games, while Queensland are second on the ladder with two wins.
Victorian opener Eamonn Vines appeared hard done-by when he tried to evade a short ball down the leg side, but umpire John Ward gave him out for the second wicket.
The replay strongly suggested the ball had only brushed his shirt on the way through.
Then Queensland were adamant they had won the game when Tremain was caught at second slip off the bowling of debutant Blake Edwards with seven overs left.
Tremain did not budge and this time Ward ruled it had come off the pad.
With Victoria nine wickets down, Queensland couldn't believe this wasn't given out!
Chris Tremain wasn't going anywhere.
Out or not out? https://t.co/yl48FawVrY #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/o4tULGrAXp— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 15, 2019
Victoria, who have won four of the last five Shields, were well-placed after tea on day three when Queensland lost the seventh wicket in their second innings and only led by 89 runs.
But a stubborn 88-run partnership from captain Jimmy Peirson and fellow tailender Mark Steketee proved the counter punch that turned the game.
It took a sharp catch from Victorian captain Peter Handscomb at wide first slip off James Pattinson's bowling to remove Steketee on Friday morning for a top score of 52.
Peirson was unbeaten on 51 as Queensland were dismissed for 306 before lunch, setting up a run chase of 190 for Victoria.
After reaching 41 without loss, Victoria bled wickets amid rain delays and tight Queensland bowling.
Handscomb, who top-scored with 92 in the first innings, only made three when he attempted a pull shot off debutant Blake Edwards and chopped onto his stumps.
Home side collapses on final day
That left Victoria teetering at 3-52 and needing a massive partnership from Aaron Finch and teenage newcomer Jake Fraser-McGurk.
But Fraser-McGurk (19) and Finch (17) fell in quick succession and the home side were on the ropes at 5-85.
After his hat-trick in the first innings, Swepson snared 3-17 as opener Matt Short top-scored with 27.
Pattinson was a rare highlight for Victoria on Friday, taking two wickets to finish with 4-66 in the Queensland second innings.
The paceman was recalled to the Test squad on Thursday and he continues to put his shocking injury run behind him.
Pattinson shouldered a 48-over workload this week and took six wickets.
Fellow Test paceman Peter Siddle, who also dug in with Tremain for the eighth wicket, took 3-58 in the Queensland second innings.
With AAP