Western Australia 33 for 1 (Bancroft 15*) trail New South Wales 232 (Philippe 52, Gilkes 51, Rocchiccioli 5-62) by 199 runs
Rocchiccioli claimed 5 for 62 on Saturday to help dismiss the Blues for 232, before Western Australia went to stumps on day one at 33 for 1. Both sides are out of contention for the final.
Overlooked to join the Ashes squad by Australia’s selectors when Nathan Lyon was injured, Rocchiccioli has been the best spinner in the Shield this summer.
The 28-year-old offspinner has taken 36 wickets at 26.27 this season, ahead of a summer where Australia will tour spin-friendly India again in January and February.
Having produced a brilliant caught and bowled to dismiss opener Will Salzman (9), he also benefited from a smart reflex catch from Cameron Bancroft at short leg to have Lachlan Shaw for 22.
Quick Albert Esterhuysen took 2 for 44 in his second Shield match, following his 4 for 37 on debut against Queensland last week.
Esterhuysen also took a nice low return catch to have Joel Davies caught and bowled for eight, midway through a NSW collapse of 7 for 98.
It came after the seamer’s first wicket of opener Sam Konstas for 38, marking the Test discard’s 10th straight score below 50 across all formats since the end of the Big Bash.
