Marsh hundred drives Western Australia

Western Australia 5 for 287 (S Marsh 134*, Bancroft 132) v Victoria
Scorecard

On a sombre day for cricket, Shaun Marsh and Cameron Bancroft scored centuries to push Western Australia along to 5 for 287 at stumps on the first day against Victoria at the MCG. Halfway through the day's play, all attention turned to the SCG, where Phillip Hughes had been rushed to hospital for surgery after being struck in the head by a bouncer. Play was abandoned there, but went on in Melbourne.

Marsh's unbeaten 134 could make him the most likely candidate for a call-up to Australia's squad for the first Test in Brisbane, when captain Michael Clarke is officially ruled out due to his hamstring injury. Marsh has now started the Sheffield Shield season with two centuries from four games and South Australia's Callum Ferguson is the only other serious Test candidate who can match that.

It was a strange innings from Western Australia, who were 3 for 39 when Bancroft and Marsh came together. Both men scored centuries but no other batsmen reached double figures; the 244-run partnership between them accounted for nearly all of Western Australia's total.

Bancroft is now the leading run scorer in the Shield season having scored two hundreds and two half-centuries; his 132 in this match ended when he was caught off the bowling of Chris Tremain. John Hastings and Fawad Ahmed each picked up two wickets but Western Australia remained in a good position at stumps, with Marsh on 134 and his brother Mitchell Marsh having joined him at the crease on 2.

However, Shaun Marsh said it was hard to think of anything but Hughes on such a day. "It's left everyone flat. I can't put words to it. It's just so sad and I wish him all the best," he said. "I just hope he pulls through and our thoughts are with him and his family. I can't comprehend it, and the whole cricket family is thinking about Phil Hughes at the moment."