Courtesy: CA/X
Corey Rocchiccioli, the Western Australian off spinner, took a five-wicket haul on day one of the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria on a green pitch at the WACA in Perth. The 27-year-old picked up his first wicket in the second half of the day’s play, breaking the key partnership between Oliver Peake and Peter Handscomb before cleaning up the tail, to secure his second five-wicket haul in First-class cricket.
For the unversed, after winning the toss, Sam Whiteman, the captain of Western Australia, decided to field first, and his pacers cleaned up the Victorian top order within the first 13 overs of the innings, dismissing them with single digit scores. After that, Oliver Peake (52 off 168) and Peter Handscomb (48 off 147), shared a valuable 94-run stand for the fourth wicket, to settle the nerves inside the dressing room.
Corey Rocchiccioli batted as nightwatchman after taking five-wicket haul
But then, the Corey Rocchiccioli show began as he picked up the wickets of both the set batters within two overs before sending Harry Dixon back cheaply, to put Western Australia well ahead in the contest. Fergus O’Neill tried to resurrect the innings of Victoria, but his batting effort came to an end after scoring 26 off 58 as the off spinner took his fourth wicket of the afternoon in the Sheffield Shield match.
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The 10th and final wicket during the first innings of Victoria was picked up by Corey Rocchiccioli as Cameron Gannon took a sharp catch in the slip, to get rid of Peter Siddle, who was into the 20s. It also helped him to complete his five-wicket haul, while bundling out Victoria for just 197 runs in 87.3 overs before he had to take the nightwatchman’s role in the early stages of Western Australia’s first innings, which he fulfilled diligently by staying not out at the stumps on day one.
