New South Wales' inexperienced batting line-up have made a solid start in their crucial final-round Sheffield Shield match against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.
Given first use of the wicket after South Australia won the toss, NSW advanced to 1-82 at lunch.
Debutant Blake Nikitaris impressed at the top of the order to be unbeaten on 44, which included a six in his first session of Shield cricket.
No.3 Matthew Gilkes is also unbeaten on 36, after opener Ryan Hackney was dismissed for a duck off the bowling of Brendan Doggett.
Needing a win to have any hope of featuring in next week's Shield final, NSW went into the match without senior batters Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes and skipper Kurtis Patterson.
Henriques suffered a calf injury in last week's draw with Western Australia, Hughes has a broken thumb, while Patterson remained in Sydney with his wife for the birth of their first child.
In addition, allrounder Hayden Kerr (hamstring) and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill (shoulder) were also ruled unavailable.
The absences meant 22-year-old Jason Sangha assumed the captaincy for the first time.
Bottom-placed South Australia handed debuts to Jordan Buckingham, Bailey Capel and Thomas Kelly.
