New South Wales 140 for 2 (Maddinson 69, Patterson 32*) advantage South Australia 110 (Bird 7-46) for 30 runs
Bird finished with figures of 7 for 46 at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval on Thursday, bothering outside the South Australian batting pack when they were all out for 110.
Fellow opener Sam Konstas also looked solid for his 28, before falling lbw to Harry Conway, in his first game since missing Australian Test selection.
But while Konstas is seen as the future of Australian cricket, Bird gave a nod to his past. The closer will turn 38 next month, but he was at his best on opening day in Adelaide.
Five batsmen fell bringing him close to the slips, while Conor McInerney also bowled a ball inside the opening towards Konstas at the veteran’s short leg.
Bird’s return marked his first five-wicket haul in the Shield since March 2021, when he took 7 for 18 against the Blues while playing for Tasmania.
“I felt reasonably good today,” Bird said. “But between the wickets I got I didn’t feel I had bowled well at some stretches. It’s funny how cricket works.
“Obviously it’s good to have some wickets, but it’s just one day. We have to come back tomorrow and try to get a big lead and put some runs on the board.”
Only Jake Lehmann (25), Henry Hunt (30) and Harry Nielsen (20) offered any real resistance to unbeaten South Australia.
But after the hosts were bowled out in 41.3 overs, the winless Blues looked much more composed in the crease. Konstas hit a back-foot boundary outside off stump and had one of the shots of the day when he pushed Conway down the ground for four.
He hit four boundaries in his 28th over, before again receiving a ball that lightly hit him from a good length. Maddinson spent a lot of time at the crease before tea and then took charge in the final session.
He played two series with flourish off Nathan McAndrew as he took 14 off one of the seamer’s overs, before smashing Conway through cover to add to his 50.
But it was Pope’s ball that floated, dribbled and spun back between the left-hander’s bat and pad that bowled him, in a rare bright spot for South Australia.
