White capitalises on MCG hole

MELBOURNE, March 6 AAP - Victorian leg-spinner Cameron White relished the giant hole in the MCG here today as he snared his first five-wicket haul in Pura Cup cricket.

White returned 5-58 on a pitch with little turn as Western Australia fought to 9-262 at stumps on day one of the Bushrangers' vital game, with Michael Clark two and Brad Williams yet to score at stumps.

The pitch played slow and true, so White relied on the wind which came through the chasm left by the demolition of the Ponsford Stand to move the ball through the air.

"It was a pretty flat wicket and I was getting a bit of drift - I think it caught them by surprise a little bit," the 19-year-old said.

"Definitely the drift helps me out a bit - that big hole in the stand definitely helps with the wind howling through there."

WA looked solid on 1-88 at lunch, but White took a catch and three wickets as the Warriors limped to 6-170 at tea.

His two wickets in the late session meant he beat his previous best at this level of 4-51.

"He's been off the boil a bit, as well - to be fair to him, perhaps he hasn't had a lot of bowling," said Victorian coach David Hookes.

"Today, he bowled a lot and bowled well, he's a good kid."

Hookes said White would also undergo a knee operation immediately after Victoria's season ends, putting him out of action for four months.

Another youngster, 21-year-old Luke Ronchi, rescued the WA innings today with a top score of 67.

Batting at No.7, he put on 58 for the seventh wicket with Beau Casson (10) to halt the middle-order collapse.

Earlier, opener Chris Rogers (66) and No.3 Murray Goodwin (56) had failed to build on their starts.

It was an even day's play for Victoria, which must score more points than New South Wales over the next three days if it is to make the Cup final against Queensland.

Victoria asked the scoreboard operators not to post updates from the NSW-Queensland game in Sydney, to ensure the Bushrangers concentrated on their match.

Hookes said today's 20 wickets in Sydney meant Victoria could play its game normally.

If NSW recovers from its first-innings deficit and scores outright points, then it is through to the final regardless of the result here.

"You would assume....by the time that game is finished, we'll still be just playing a normal game of cricket and what will be, will be," Hookes said.

"You're right, it probably will finish up being a two-point game because six points to NSW - we're buggered anyway."