New South Wales appeared to be on top after a rain-affected opening day in the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the WACA Ground.
At stumps, the Blues were 0 for 2 in reply to the Warriors' 217, the visitors having won the toss and chosen to bowl first.
It was the earliest start ever to a domestic first-class season and there were a couple of rain delays before play was abandoned due to bad light with 9.1 overs still to be bowled.
Peter Nevill was on two and Scott Henry was yet to score.
Nevill got an early fright when he edged a Mitchell Johnson delivery in the first over of the innings, but the ball felt short of second slip.
Not surprisingly, Western Australian captain Marcus North was reluctant to leave the field, as the early finish denied his bowlers the chance to utilise the bowler-friendly conditions late in the day.
There were no such problems for the Blues, with captain Michael Clarke having no hesitation inserting the home side when he called correctly at the toss.
Under leaden skies, with a grassy wicket and strong breeze blowing, Clarke gave his seamers first use of the conditions and they made the most of it, with all five bowlers used claiming wickets.
The Blues claimed the key scalps of former Test batsmen Shaun Marsh (one) and Marcus North (12) cheaply in the opening session, and the home side never really recovered after being 3 for 48 before lunch.
The only sustained resistance for the Warriors came from the richly talented Mitchell Marsh, who made 67 in 211 minutes at the crease.
Marsh, coming off a flashy 78 in a one-day match on Sunday, received little support from his teammates, although veteran Adam Voges made 44.
Voges and Marsh added 69 for the fifth wicket to steady the Warriors innings, but the former fell just before tea, trapped LBW by Copeland (2-54).
Marsh was the ninth batsman to fall, trapped LBW by Doug Bollinger, having survived a confident shout earlier in the same over.
Bollinger bowled with good pace and finished with 3-55, after taking four wickets in a man-of-the-match performance on Sunday.
The former Test paceman claimed the important wicket of national hopeful Shaun Marsh, batting at number three, when the left-hander chased a wide delivery and edged the ball to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
North was guilty of sacrificing his wicket cheaply, top edging an attempted scoop around the corner to Bollinger at deep fine leg from the bowling of Josh Hazlewood.
Despite the presence of nine Test cricketers and the Australian captain, a threadbare crowd of 331 was in attendance for the first day of play.
More rain is forecast for the next three days of the match.
AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, perth-6000, wa, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted September 18, 2012 16:21:23
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