Debutant Hoekstra Stars But Manenti's 92* Puts South Australia on Top Against Victoria

South Australia tightened their grip on the Sheffield Shield season opener after a commanding day two against Victoria at Junction Oval on Thursday. The reigning back-to-back champions closed on 6-352, leading the Victorians by 108 runs, with skipper Ben Manenti unbeaten on 92 and closing in on a maiden Shield century. Manenti, who made his highest first-class score on the day, anchored the innings after Jake Lehmann fell for 90 and Henry Hunt made 71, while Shield debutant Noah McFadyen added an unbeaten 46 and took two wickets on day one. The one bright spark for Victoria was 20-year-old debutant Harry Hoekstra, who claimed 4-57, including the key scalp of Lehmann, after also top-scoring for his state batting at No.9 on the opening day. South Australia began the day in chaos, losing former Test opener Jake Weatherald for the rest of the match after he suffered delayed-onset concussion symptoms overnight from a fence collision on day one, with Matthew Gilkes named as his concussion substitute. But partnerships of 83 between Hunt and Lehmann and 98 between Lehmann and Manenti carried the visitors past Victoria's 244, and the unbeaten 89-run seventh-wicket stand between Manenti and McFadyen left the hosts staring at a heavy deficit with two days remaining.