Smith gets out for duck, Starc takes six-for in Shield match against Victoria

Australia’s Steve Smith’s horrid form in red-ball continued as he got out for a duck in the second innings of the Sheffield Shield game against Victoria on October 22 (Tuesday). In the first innings, the 35-year-old had managed only three runs. 

With this innings, Smith has now been without a century in first-class cricket since June 2023. In fact, since the beginning of this year, he has had only one fifty-plus score. 

After it was announced that Smith would get back to his usual number four position in the Australian batting line-up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beginning November 22 with the first Test in Perth, he turned up for New South Wales at number three in this game but endured utter failure. 

While Smith was caught down the leg-side off the bowling of Fergus O’Neill, he was clean bowled by Scott Boland in the second. 

However, contrary to Smith, Mitchell Starc had a terrific outing with the ball, picking up six wickets in Victoria's second innings. He had figures of 6/81 as NSW managed to bowl their opponent out for 246. Earlier, Starc took a wicket in the first innings as well when his teammate Sean Abbott took a five-wicket haul. 

Nathan Lyon, another of Australia’s mainstays also had an average game as he managed to get only two wickets. 

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.