It had been more than two years since Handscomb made a first-class hundred
Victoria 190 (Short 94, Conway 6-39) and 4 for 270 (Handscomb 124*, Maddinson 61) drew with New South Wales 364 (Henriques 141, Nevill 74, Pattinson 4-60)
Captain Peter Handscomb led from the front with a superb match-saving century as Victoria earned a draw against New South Wales in Sydney.
Handscomb batted through the final day until play was called off half an hour after tea in a flawless display with what was his first first-class century since November 2018.
“Just tried to stay in my bubble the best I could, score when the ball was there,” he said. “It was nice to spend some time in the middle…hadn’t scored a hundred for a while as well so good to get that feeling back
“And more just mentally being out there for that time and getting back into the routine of it’s never enough, never being satisfied, trying not to leave it to someone else. All that stuff I probably hadn’t been doing for a little while so nice to be able to do that.”
He had excellent support from Seb Gotch in a fifth-wicket stand that spanned 40 overs after Victoria had lost their fourth wicket shortly after lunch with their lead at just 29.
They had resumed still 45 runs behind and still trailed when Nic Maddinson’s long occupation was ended when he bottom-edged a cut into the stumps off Nathan Lyon against a delivery too close for the shot.
Matt Short dug in with defence his only concern making 5 off 62 deliveries in a partnership with Handscomb that ate up a further 22 overs before he was pinned lbw by Trent Copeland with the last ball before lunch.
Shortly after the resumption it appeared New South Wales could make a decisive push when Jake Fraser-McGurk, who led Victoria to victory at the SCG last week, flashed an edge to slip off Pat Cummins but that would be their last success.
Handscomb brought up his 15th first-class hundred from 251 balls and Victoria were all-but safe by the tea break. New South Wales gave it one final push early in the final session but soon shook hands.