Sutherland leads Victoria fightback v NSW

Will Sutherland triggered a Victoria fightback to leave their Sheffield Shield clash with NSW nicely poised, after Moises Henriques threatened to take the game away from the home team. 

Victoria finished day two at Citibank Centre on 1-78 - holding a lead of 27 - with opener Ashley Chandrasinghe on 24 and captain Peter Handscomb on six. 

NSW were dismissed for 260, a first innings lead of 51, but they would have hoped for a bigger advantage after being 2-155 just before lunch.

Henriques scored 97, striking 10 fours and a six in his fluent 179-ball innings, but the Blues' bid to build a big first-innings lead was scuppered by two collapses.

They lost two clumps of three wickets cheaply and were just four runs ahead when they went eight down, before some tail-end hitting added 47 for the last two wickets.

"We had an opportunity to bury the game and make sure that the Vics didn't get a bat until halfway though tomorrow, but unfortunately we missed that," Henriques said.

"Credit to the Victorian bowlers for hanging in there, a lot of teams after you get on top of them with one partnership they can fade away, but they kept coming."

Pace bowler Sutherland (4-57 off 22.1 overs) was prominent in the home team's resurgence.

He dismissed Jason Sangha (44) just before lunch with NSW 3-156 at the break, ending a 107-run, third-wicket stand with Henriques.

Early in the second session, Sutherland's athletic dive and fine throw from mid on resulted in Matthew Gilkes being run out  and he then had Sean Abbott caught behind, as NSW lost  3-7.

"To fight back from where we were at lunchtime to the end of the day I think that's a credit to everyone for just hanging in there," said Victoria spinner Todd Murphy, who took 3-44 and trapped Henriques lbw.

"I think run outs always do change the momentum of games, so for Suth to pull off that bit of brilliance I think got the boys up and about and going.

"If you said to us at lunchtime we're going have a 27-run lead at the end of the day blokes wouldn't have believed you."

Henriques and wicketkeeper Baxter Holt (23) grabbed back the initiative with a seventh-wicket stand of 48.

But Victoria hit back late in the session, taking 3-3, just after NSW moved ahead on first innings.

The Blues' tail wagged with Chris Tremain scoring a brisk 24 not out.

Victoria had Sam Harper and Jon Holland subbed out after testing positive for COVID.

Handscomb performed admirably behind the stumps in place of Harper, taking four catches.

Henriques was the only NSW wicket-taker, earning an lbw decision on Travis Dean, who scored a brisk 46, taking five fours off two wayward overs from Mickey Edwards.