Sheffield Shield: Western Australia’s latest middle-order collapse robs them of huge first-innings lead

Western Australia are in a commanding position after two days of their Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland, but missed an opportunity to bat the Bulls into submission on Wednesday. Young gun Sam Fanning missed out on a maiden first-class hundred when he fell for 95, triggering another worrying middle-order collapse. But Fanning’s stand, captain Sam Whiteman’s 67 and Jayden Goodwin’s 40 had given WA the foundations of their first-innings 312 in response to Queensland’s 147. Corey Rocchiccioli dismissed former Test opener Matt Renshaw — his eighth wicket of the match — late in the day to cement the visitors’ ascendency, with a lead of 126 and two days to play. WA must win the clash at the Gabba to carry their hopes of an historic fourth-straight shield title into their final two matches in Perth. Fanning’s best first-class innings ended when he chopped a wide Michael Neser delivery back onto his stumps. They then lost their next five wickets for 63 runs in a horror streak that included Ashton Turner for five, Joel Curtis for three and Keaton Critchell for five. Turner was bowled leaving a ball that cannoned into his off-stump for the second time in as many knocks. He was dismissed that way by Liam Scott in a one-day clash with South Australia on Thursday. Hilton Cartwright was left stranded on 48, a patient innings that endured the middle-order collapse. Perennial Test hopeful Neser finished with 4-34 from 21 and promising quick Xavier Bartlett took 3-46. Rocchiccioli — who had never taken a first-class five-wicket haul — took seven scalps in the first innings. He then had Renshaw out thanks to a sharp catch from towering slipper Cam Gannon low to the ground. He flirted with Hugo Burdon’s outside-edge, then had him dropped by Joel Paris off the inside edge, in the final minutes of play.