Marnus Labuschagne dominated the headlines in the first round of the Sheffield Shield, with two other former Glamorgan players also on the winning side in the opening two games of the tournament in our first edition of #GlamWinterWatch.
One of 2019's Wisden Cricketers of the Year and Glamorgan's overseas player for 2021 and 2022, Marnus Labuschagne continued his hot streak of form, racking up 167 in his first knock of the winter against Tasmania.
The 26-year-old found himself changing bats at a lunch interval, trying to break the shackles, and found his lighter bat more to his liking as he eventually cashed in a 151-ball ton, despite being dropped twice in an over when he was struggling on 12 from 43 balls.
Labuschagne said: "I thought I was quite scratchy to about 30, I didn't feel like I was batting that well but after lunch, it all came together. I changed to a much lighter bat, every time I tried to drive it I just nicked it so I was like, that one's gone."
The right-hander was also involved in one of the more amusing incidents of the day, as he flicked Jackson Bird to the square-leg boundary... from the bowlers' shy at the stumps.
Labuschagne's leg-spin also got involved as he took the wicket of Nathan Ellis with Queensland charging to a late victory, with his Queensland skipper and former Glamorgan player Usman Khawaja taking the catch. Khawaja took three further catches in the game, but could only add four runs with the bat. Joe Burns had seven at the top of the order, but Michael Neser's century and five-for in the same game helped Labuschagne and Queensland secure the win.
Labuschagne's replacement at Glamorgan in 2019 also fared well, with Shaun Marsh skippering Western Australia to a late win in a dramatic encounter. Marsh scored 31 in the first innings as Ashton Agar and Leeds-born Josh Inglis dominated, before Marsh's second innings saw him score 110 not out from just 111 balls as he raced to his 28th first-class century before he declared. The bowlers then did their job as his side won by 205 runs in the clash against South Australia.