Centurion ... Peter Forrest saves the day for Queensland against Victoria. Source: Sarah Reed / News Limited
Queensland face a tough fielding slog in the Sheffield Shield cricket match against Victoria after an opening day of wildly-fluctuating fortunes.
Former Australian one-day player Peter Forrest returned to form with a timely century and combined with captain James Hopes for a crucial partnership to save the Bulls' first innings at the MCG.
SHEF - Melbourne Cricket Ground
18 February 2013 - Day 1, Session 3
Queensland 1st Innings
| C. Gannon | 13 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 39.39 |
The Bulls won the toss in this top-of-the-table clash, but were 4-41 and then 5-90 on a flat wicket before the 169-run stand between Forrest and Hopes steadied them.
Hopes was dismissed for 88 and Forrest for 119, triggering a late-order slump of 5-63 that resulted in a first-innings total of 322.
Forrest said Queensland must now dig in and make the Victorian top order battle for every run on day two.
"Normally down here ... you win or lose in the fourth day," he said.
"We know tomorrow is about hard work, shutting the scoreboard down and making sure if we're not taking wickets, then they're not scoring runs.
"It's a tough grind, it always is down here."
It was Forrest's first Shield century since their match at the MCG last summer and his form slump has cost him a place in the national one-day team.
"It's a relief - it's been a pretty tough year personally," he said.
"It's nice that if you hang in there and do the hard work, you get the rewards eventually.
"It's reasonably rewarding personally, only because we were obviously in a fair bit of strife this morning.
"We're probably a little bit short of where we wanted, but at least we're in the game."
Left-armer Will Sheridan was on a hat-trick when the Bulls lost their fourth wicket and he led the attack with 4-71 in the hot and uncomfortable conditions, while wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb took five catches.
"At the start of the day we'd have been pleased with around 300, but I think 250 would have been ideal," Sheridan said.
"We definitely lost a bit of momentum in the middle there with some poor bowling, but I really think the batsmen we have got we can really take the game back off them."
Spin twins Fawad Ahmed and Clive Rose impressed in their Shield debuts, with Ahmed dismissing Forrest and Rose producing a superb delivery to bowl Hopes.
Rose's left-arm spin returned 3-52 and Ahmed, the former asylum seeker from Pakistan, snared 2-79 with his leg breaks.
While Hope's knock was vital, the Bulls captain has now gone six seasons without a Shield century.
