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Daniel Hughes hit a half-century to guide NSW to 3-124 against South Australia at stumps on day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.

A dogged Daniel Hughes half-century has steered NSW to 3-124 against South Australia at stumps on a rain-affected opening day of their Sheffield Shield match.

After rain washed out the initial five hours of Tuesday's play at Adelaide Oval, Hughes made a gritty 60 before being dismissed on the last ball of the day.

The left-hander and Moises Henriques (41 not out) blunted SA's bowlers with a 75-run stand after the home side won the toss and sent the Blues in.

Redbacks quicks Joe Mennie (2-14 from 10 overs) and Nick Winter (1-24) were the successful bowlers.

Left-arm quick Winter struck in the sixth over, trapping Nick Larkin lbw for two when the Blues opener failed to get bat on ball when playing across a fullish delivery.

Hughes and Kurtis Patterson battled through a testing period with Winter, Chadd Sayers (0-40) and Mennie gaining movement through the air and off the pitch.

The NSW pair put on a 41-run partnership before Patterson, on 17, played a loose swipe to a short Mennie delivery outside off stump and feathered an an inside edge to wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen.

NSW stalwart Henriques survived a couple of close lbw shouts but soon clicked into gear, defying the conditions to score freely - his 41 runs came from 55 balls.

SA selected legspinner Lloyd Pope for his first-class debut and Henriques hammered the 18-year-old's first ball for four.

Pope, who took an eight-wicket haul for Australia in an under-19 World Cup fixture last January, finished with 0-26 from six overs.

The Blues, who gave Shield debuts to three players - Jack Edwards, Jason Sangha and allrounder Daniel Sams - lost Hughes to the final ball before stumps when he inexplicably failed to offer a shot to a Mennie in-dipper and was lbw.