Overlooked for Victoria’s first game against South Australia, Murphy’s 2022-23 season debut yielded six wickets for the emerging off-spinner, including three on a dramatic final day of the clash at Junction Oval in Melbourne.
With Victoria posting 4-616 in reply to WA’s first-innings total of 466, Murphy snared the crucial wickets of Sam Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft early on the final day’s play to give Victoria hope of forcing a result.
Murphy added Aaron Hardie to his final-innings figures of 3-43, although Victoria eventually fell short of dismissing WA before it could pass the second innings deficit of 150 runs as a draw was reached.
An aggressive approach to Murphy’s bowling put him under pressure in the first innings, but it was a swift response in the second from the 21-year-old who threatened to blow the game wide open.
“It was different; I think the WA boys obviously had a bit of a plan to come harder at me,” Murphy said.
“They swept well on both sides and used their feet well so it was another challenge, but I thought I was able to hang in there quite well.”
It’s Victoria’s second draw in as many games this season and sixth in seven starts at Junction Oval.
But for Murphy, the clash provided a reminder of his talent as a rising spinner of Australian cricket, and he ended the red-ball match as its leading wicket-taker.
From his four Sheffield Shield games Murphy has now taken 18 wickets and has established himself as one of the squads’ bankable spin options.
This includes in Victoria’s Marsh One-Day Cup, where he has started in each clash this season with best figures of 2-29 against New South Wales.
