Horror trip: Konstas fails again as Labuschagne makes ton

Sam Konstas has endured a horror trip to Perth, out cheaply for NSW a second time against Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield as he fights to return for the first Ashes Test.

After being pinned lbw by Joel Paris’ stock inswinger on day one, Konstas walked out to bat on Monday as the Blues tried to build on a narrow first innings lead in a low-scoring game.

Sam Konstas was out for just 14 in NSW’s second innings.Credit: Getty Images

A couple of early boundaries got Konstas away to 14 from as many balls, before he drove loosely at a length ball from the-right arm seamer Matthew Kelly and sliced a catch to Ashton Agar at point.

Fellow opener Blake Nikitaras was out soon after, leaving NSW 2-17 with an overall lead of 26.

Konstas walked off the WACA Ground with his head bowed, as other Test team contenders made runs elsewhere around the country.

Chief among these was Marnus Labuschagne, who lost his place to Konstas in the Caribbean earlier this year but started his Shield campaign with a hundred at No.3 for Queensland.

Marnus Labuschagne survived a stumping scare on 98.

Labuschagne survived a straightforward stumping chance on 98 before getting to his century, which he celebrated heartily after a difficult winter.

Selection chair George Bailey was in attendance at Allan Border Field for the game and has now seen two top order centuries from the Queensland XI for Matt Renshaw and Labuschagne, plus a fluent half century from incumbent Test opener Usman Khawaja.

Both Renshaw and Labuschagne have given themselves a chance of consideration by the selectors, because substantial innings in the top three are the kinds of contributions they are most urgently seeking.

More to come.

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