Labuschagne’s Test place gets shakier, Cricket Australia and Queensland in peace talks

The opener’s place in the Queensland team had been a point of contention after a much-publicised blowup with Queensland Cricket’s head of performance Joe Dawes, who was present in Adelaide to see day one after a conference to mark the end of the season.

Dawes and Cricket Australia’s high-performance chief, Ben Oliver were expected to meet and discuss both Khawaja and the wider issues around player availability for state matches, following the pair of explosive press conferences in Brisbane.

Other states have seen similar issues in recent times, but the Australian team’s hierarchy is adamant that not burning out players is a key both to their longevity and also the success of the team, which boasts global supremacy in Tests and the 2023 ODI World Cup win.

Callum Vidler celebrates his first wicket as a Queensland Bull.Credit: Getty Images

Promising Vidler keeps Bulls alive

Defending just 95 in the first innings, Queensland were in a world of pain when they went into the field in early afternoon, but they were given a glimmer of hope by one of Australia’s most promising young quick bowlers.

Callum Vidler was part of the under-19 World Cup win last year, alongside Konstas and WA seamer Mahli Beardman, and after starting off a fraction too short delivered a high-class spell for his state.

Henry Hunt and McSweeney were both beaten by full deliveries shaping away from them, before Vidler came back to force Alex Carey to drag onto the stumps and Liam Scott to glove behind.

The only query around Vidler came from a stunning blow to the helmet when he batted, which forced concussion testing and also allowed the young paceman to make regular trips off the field in the final session of a warm day in Adelaide.

At 6-112, SA were in danger of being bowled out before the close, but Jake Lehmann and all-rounder Ben Manenti steadied things somewhat for the highly favoured hosts. Lehmann is playing in the final 29 years after his father, Darren Lehmann, took part in SA’s last Shield triumph in 1996.

Queensland 95 (Doggett 6-31) v South Australia 6-155 (Lehmann 42 not out, Vidler 4-33)