SOUTH Australia and Queensland remain the only undefeated sides after three rounds of Cricket Australia Under 19 National Championships action. Situated in Pools A and B respectively, the two sides have one more fixture to navigate today before the semi-finals begin on Wednesday.

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The host state produced its third win on Sunday, defeating New South Wales Metro by 33 runs at Karen Rolton Oval. An outstanding century from Thomas Brown (129 off 140) helped the SACAs post 278 after electing to bat first at the toss, and they rallied to peg back the Blues’ hot start in response.

NSW had shot out to a 103-run opening stand and looked relatively well placed at 4-200, but lost 4-12 as Brown again got in on the action. After his exploits with the bat, he chimed in with 4-42 off a full 10 overs to help his side wrestle back the ascendancy and eventually move to a 3-0 record.

Luke Szabo (65 off 68) was also in the runs for SA, while Roman Crawford (3-42) and Matthew LeRay (2-43) rounded out the wicket takers. Openers James Moore (65 off 73) and Riley Kingsell (42 off 59) gave NSW a sniff, after Addison Sherriff (3-32) and Oliver Patterson (3-45) contributed with the ball.

Meanwhile, Queensland’s third victory came to the tune of five wickets over Tasmania at Memorial Oval. Having chosen to bowl first, the Maroon side restricted Tassie to 9-203 off 50 overs and recovered from 4-34 to chase it down with 27 deliveries to spare.

Alexander Procopis was crucial in the chase, compiling 92 (105) to settle things after a shaky start. He combined nicely with Jayden Draper (60 off 86) in a 138-run stand for the fifth wicket. The latter finished unbeaten Jack Balkin (23 off 31).

Tasmanian standout Aidan O’Connor again featured heavily, claiming 2-21 off 10 overs after top-scoring with 46 (68) batting at four. Saxon Jeh (3-26) did much of the damage for Queensland along with star quick Callum Vidler (2-24). Four more Queensland bowlers also picked up wickets.

Trailing Queensland in Pool B is Western Australia (2-1) after a 92-run defeat of Victoria Country. WA could only muster 179 having been sent in to bat, but backed up nicely with the ball to skittle the Vics for 87 in the round’s sole inter-pool clash.

Adam Solomons (62 off 83) and Will Malajczuk (40 off 41) were the only WA batters to pass 20, as Kyle Parrott ran riot with 6-34. In response, only three Vic batters got past three runs on a scorecard which remarkably featured five ducks.

After his game one ton, Archie Lalor was left stranded on 23 in the chase which never really got going. Jordan Quiggin (3-10) and Albert Esterhuysen only needed seven overs apiece to remove more than half of Victoria’s batters between them in the convincing win.

Over in Pool A, Victoria Metro is best placed to advance alongside South Australia after beating the Northern Territory by seven wickets. The Vics took just 30.1 overs to chase down a miserly 161, doing so with six batters left in the shed.

Alex Turner (54 off 84) and Reyaan Farooq (36 off 36) got the chase off to a good start, before Christian Howe helped close the show with 36* off 19. Ryan Percival (2-30) was the pick of the NT’s bowlers, while Hayden McCarthy (1-34) got in on the act late.

Victoria’s strong bowling effort saw six players nab wickets, led by Vishwa Ramkumar’s 3-26. NT opener Charlie Bignell (47 off 75) held firm as wickets tumbled around him, before Jack Appleton (31 off 57) and James Hatton (29* off 49) wagged the tail.

Elsewhere in Round 3, Australian Capital Territory got on the board with an upset three-run win over New South Wales Country. After posting 9-296 off 50 overs, the ACT saw out a narrow breakthrough victory with some clutch closing overs.

Raakin Rahman (2-60) timed his breakthroughs well, while Thomas Hogan (2-45) was the man to remove top-scorer Shaun Smith (74 off 77). Sam Weir (73 off 80) was also a key wicket, and captain Angus Campbell (46 off 47) was on track to raise the bat too before being run out.

Rahman’s exploits with the ball came after he blasted eight boundaries in a 79-ball dig of 81. Sineth Herath’s unbeaten 46 off 21 was also crucial at number 10. Riley Keen (3-37) was the Blues’ best bowler, while Weir, Ryan Cattle and Kai Croft picked up two wickets apiece.

DAY THREE SCORECARDS

Victoria Metro def. Northern Territory by 7 wickets

Northern Territory 10-161 (44.3)
Charlie Bignell 47 (75), Jack Appleton 31 (57), James Hatton 29* (49)
Vishwa Ramkumar 3-26 (9), Gurbir Singh 2-22 (3), Bailey Toseland 2-38 (10)

Victoria Metro 3-164 (30.1)
Alex Turner 54 (84), Christian Howe 36* (19), Reyaan Farooq 36 (36)
Ryan Percival 2-30 (7), Hayden McCarthy 1-34 (4.1), Jack Appleton 0-14 (5)

South Australia def. New South Wales Metro by 33 runs

South Australia 10-278 (50)
Thomas Brown 129 (140), Luke Szabo 65 (68), Kane Halfpenny 18 (23)
Addison Sherriff 3-32 (10), Oliver Patterson 3-45 (10), Jaiveer Singh Dhanoa 1-47 (5)

New South Wales Metro 10-245 (47.2)
James More 65 (73), Riley Kingsell 42 (59), Coby Holland 38 (33)
Thomas Brown 4-42 (10), Roman Crawford 3-42 (9), Matthew LeRay 2-43 (10)

Western Australia def. Victoria Country by 92 runs

Western Australia 10-179 (43.2)
Adam Solomons 62 (83), Will Malajczuk 40 (41), Simon Budge 19 (32)
Kyle Parrott 6-34 (9.2), Archie Lalor 2-28 (7), Harry Hoekstra 1-14 (6)

Victoria Country 10-87 (34)
Archie Lalor 23* (51), Oliver Peake 21 (43), Harry Jones 20 (44)
Jordan Quiggin 3-10 (7), Albert Esterhuysen 3-15 (7), Jake Pattison 2-26 (8)

Queensland def. Tasmania by 5 wickets

Tasmania 9-203 (50)
Aidan O’Connor 46 (68), Jaxon Thorpe 31* (53), Joseph McGann 29 (32)
Saxon Jeh 3-26 (10), Callum Vidler 2-24 (9), Brayden Meegama 1-32 (5)

Queensland 5-204 (45.1)
Alexander Procopis 92 (105), Jayden Draper 60* (86), Jack Balkin 23* (31)
Aidan O’Connor 2-21 (10), Blake Garrett 2-50 (10), Joseph McGann 1-29 (8)

Australian Capital Territory def. New South Wales Country by 3 runs

Australian Capital Territory 9-296 (50)
Raakin Rahman 81 (79), Sineth Herath 46* (21), Akshay Joseph 45 (69)
Riley Keen 3-37 (8), Sam Weir 2-20 (5), Ryan Cattle 2-31 (10)

New South Wales Country 9-293 (50)
Shaun Smith 74 (77), Sam Weir 73 (80), Angus Campbell 46 (47)
Thomas Hogan 2-45 (10), Raakin Rahman 2-60 (10), Sineth Herath 1-40 (7)

STANDINGS

POOL A:

1. South Australia | 3-0 | 0.717 NRR
2. Victoria Metro | 2-1 | 0.863 NRR
3. NSW Metro | 1-2 | -0.064 NRR
4. Vic Country | 1-2 | -0.333 NRR
5. Northern Territory | 1-2 | -0.931 NRR

POOL B:

1. Queensland | 3-0 | 1.106 NRR
2. Western Australia | 2-1 | 1.259 NRR
3. NSW Country | 1-2 | 0.285 NRR
4. Australian Capital Territory | 1-2 |-1.251 NRR
5. Tasmania | 0-4 | -1.785 NRR

Top two teams from each pool advance to semi-finals

DAY FOUR FIXTURES

South Australia vs. Victoria Country
Monday December 16, 10:00am @ Memorial Oval

Western Australia vs. Tasmania
Monday December 16, 10:00am @ Oval 2

Victoria Metro vs. New South Wales Country
Monday December 16, 10:00am @ Karen Rolton Oval

New South Wales Metro vs. Northern Territory
Monday December 16, 10:00am @ Oval 3

Australian Capital Territory vs. Queensland
Monday December 16, 10:00am @ Oval 1