Vic v WA Sheffield Shield 2026-27 - Macdonald, Handscomb and Hardie cash in on flat MCG pitch

Macdonald, Handscomb and Hardie cash in on flat MCG pitch

Macdonald and Handscomb made centuries for Victoria while Hardie is 60 not out for WA as only eight wickets fall in two days at the MCG

VLive Sports DeskSyndicated Wire Coverage (ESPNcricinfo / Sports Feeds)

Nov 12, 2026, 8:58 AM2 hrs ago

Blake Macdonald celebrates his centuryGetty Images

Match at a Glance & Key Facts

TournamentSheffield ShieldSeason 2026/27

Venue

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Melbourne

Format & Details

TEST • MULTI

Day 2 - West Aust trail by 217 runs.

Player in Focus

Peter Handscomb

batter

Blake Macdonald

middle-order batter

KEY TAKEAWAYSQuick highlights & editorial summary

VLive Sports Desk

Editorial Angle:Analysis of Macdonald, Handscomb and Hardie cash in on flat MCG pitch: Macdonald and Handscomb made centuries for Victoria while Hardie is 60 not out for WA as only eight wickets fall in two days at the MCG — assessing tactical impact and tournament progression.
Score Snapshot:VIC 402/5d vs WA 185/3 — Day 2 - West Aust trail by 217 runs.
Tactical Context:"Hopefully it starts breaking up over the next couple of days and we can push for a win late on day four."
Tournament Context:Part of Sheffield Shield 2026/27. Follow real-time tournament standings, fixture progression, and live scorecards on VLive.

Western Australia 185 for 3 (Hardie 60*) trail Victoria 402 for 5 dec (Handscomb 169*, Macdonald 116, Chandrasinghe 53)

Only eight wickets have fallen across two days in cricket's MCG return, a stark contrast to the Ashes dramas of last summer.

Western Australia did not lose a wicket in the late session on Thursday, reaching 3-185 to leave their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria evenly poised.

Earlier, Peter Handscomb top-scored with an unbeaten 169 and Blake Macdonald made 116 before Victoria declared at 5-402.

"It's pretty nice for batting out there - a little bit in it with the new ball," Macdonald said.

"But then after that, it's pretty hard work for the bowlers, not a lot doing at the moment.

"Hopefully it starts breaking up over the next couple of days and we can push for a win late on day four."

But Aaron Hardie and Corey Wasley settled in for an unbroken 101-run stand through to stumps.

Hardie was on 61 from 116 balls and Wasley had scored 41 in his 108-ball knock.

This is Macdonald's first Shield game of the season and playing WA at the MCG clearly agrees with him.

His only other Sheffield Shield ton was an unbeaten 109 last December, when he guided Victoria to a win over WA at the same venue.

"Batting with Pete for the whole time ... it was pretty awesome," Macdonald said.

"I'm sure I will remember that at the end of my career."

West Australian spinner Corey Rocchiccioli took 2-70 from 22 overs.

Syndication & Sourcing Notice: Match coverage, narrative reporting, and statistics are syndicated from ESPNcricinfo and cricket wire data feeds. Curated, formatted, and enriched with real-time match state, scorecard snapshots, and key takeaways by VLive Sports Desk. Read our Editorial Guidelines & Syndication Standards.

Macdonald, Handscomb and Hardie cash in on flat MCG pitch

Match at a Glance & Key Facts

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