TRENT Copeland produced one of the most remarkable bowling performances of his career on Sunday, taking 5-17 to put his New South Wales Blues in a position to clinch their first Sheffield Shield win of the season.
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Bathurst seamer ripped through Queensland's top order at Adelaide's Karen Rolton Oval to see them all out for 190 in their second innings.
Defending shield champions New South Wales reached 3-71 before stumps, needing 135 more runs to win the match. If that victory is to come on Monday, the Blues can certainly thank Copeland.
While it was not his best figures for the Blues - the 8-92 he took on debut against Queensland in 2010 still tops the list - what Copeland did with the ball on Sunday was still remarkable.
At one stage he bowled 66 consecutive dots balls and his figures stood at 5-6 off 14 overs.
"I was talking to the lads just before in the sheds and I can't recall a time when things have gone better, or to a plan, as well as that today," Copeland said.
"Today was one of those days where I felt like I had the ball in my control and it was doing what I wanted it to do.
"It was a wicket that offered that half bat width - it wasn't doing so much that it was beating the bat.
"It was my day today, but the whole bowling unit was really good."
Copeland's haul included four men who have played Test cricket for Australia, Joe Burns the first to fall victim to him.
He got a edge on Copeland's 11th delivery and was on his way for a duck.
The Bathurst talent then removed Marnus Labuschagne - who had scored 117 in his first innings - for a duck as well.
Just as Copeland had trapped him leg before wicket on his way to taking 2-44 off 21 overs in the first innings, he again removed Labuschagne in the same fashion as a full ball which pitched middle and leg struck his pads.
By lunch-time Copeland had figures off 3-2 from 10 overs as he also sent opener Bryce Street on his way for nine.
In the afternoon left-handers Usman Khawaja (41) and Matthew Renshaw (42) fell to Copeland as he bagged the 21st five-wicket haul of his career.
He finished with 5-17 off 18 overs with 12 of those maidens. Not surprisingly, Copeland's efforts earned him wide praise.
"The love shows just how much people care about Sheffield Shield cricket in this country. And I bloody love it too," Copeland said.
Copeland's heroics with the ball also moved him up to seventh on the list of all-time first class wicket takers for New South Wales, his tally standing at 315 from 81 matches.
