New South Wales 252 and 40 for 3 path Victoria 454 for six dec (Pucovski 131, Handscomb 114, Maddinson 108, Lyon 5-153) by 162 runs
Again in the fray after an eleventh concussion in a 2nd XI recreation final month, Pucovski confirmed endurance and poise on Sunday on his strategy to his first Shield century in greater than three years.
He floor out 131 off 302 balls, going from 58 to triple figures with out a boundary earlier than getting artistic with ramp photographs and late cuts because the Bushrangers put the foot down.
Aided additionally by Nic Maddinson’s blazing 108 a day earlier, Victoria declared at 454 for six for a primary innings lead of 202. NSW have been 40 for 3, nonetheless 162 shy of creating Victoria bat once more, earlier than rain introduced stumps about an hour early on day three.
It was Pucovski’s seventh firstclass century however first Shield hundred since November 2020 – earlier than his solitary Take a look at in January 2021 – for the person lengthy touted as a future red-ball Australian star.
He took time away from the sport in 2022 for psychological well being causes however has performed 5 Shield matches for the second-placed Victoria this season.
Following opener David Warner’s latest Take a look at retirement, the century was a well timed reminder of Pucovski’s class in simply his thirty fifth first-class match since debuting in 2017.
“It is at all times good to get amongst the runs,” he stated. “A number of laborious work goes into what you do on the sphere and it was good to bounce again after the little hiccup a few weeks in the past with the concussion.
“They’d the best spinner of all time [Lyon] in their assault and he bowled quite a lot of overs. The plan was to nullify him as greatest I might and belief my defence.
“He is simply extremely top quality; does not provide you with a lot to hit and toys round with you a bit. You wish to problem your self towards the perfect and he is the perfect. So it is good to have the ability to succeed towards somebody like him.”
Australian Underneath-19 star Sam Konstas and veteran Moises Henriques survived till the rain arrived on Sunday.
“It was about placing them underneath strain as a lot as we might,” Pucovski stated of Victoria’s declaration. “It paid off tonight – 3 for 40 – however we’d have appreciated to remain on the market for that final hour or so.”
