SOUTH Australia is well on track for a domestic double after earning hosting rights for the 2024/25 Sheffield Shield final. The SACAs beat Victoria by four wickets at Junction Oval yesterday, leaving four teams to jostle for second spot in the final round of action. Tasmania is the only team out of the running.

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Entering day four at 1-47 chasing 300 runs for victory, Jake Lehmann was the standout with an unbeaten 105 to get his side over the line in the final session. He and Liam Scott (83) put on a 148-run partnership for the fifth wicket to see the visitors recover from 4-108, to a favourable 5-256.

Scott Boland, who broke through to dismiss Conor McInerney late on day three, was the pick of Victoria’s bowlers with 3-69. He finished with seven wickets for the match, while Fergus O’Neill backed up his first innings five-for with 2-49. Their efforts were in vain as Lehmann’s knock earned him Player of the Match honours.

The result sees South Australia take a an unassailable 15-point lead atop the standings with just one match against the second-placed Queensland to come. Meanwhile, Victoria’s hopes of a final berth hang by a thread, sitting in fifth ahead of a must-win away clash with Western Australia.

Queensland jumped into second spot on the back of an emphatic nine-wicket win over Tasmania at Bellerive Oval. The Bulls resumed play on day four with the result just about in the bag, needing only 56 more runs to eclipse the miserly target of 82. They did it within the first session.

First innings centurion Usman Khawaja finished unbeaten on 33 alongside first drop Jack Clayton (34), who hit the winning runs. Tasmania had fought back after being made to follow on, making Queensland pad up again with a second dig of 345 in response to the Bulls’ monster 9d-425 total.

It was to no avail, as the visitors revived their chances of clinching second place and slashed Tasmania’s in one fell swoop. Queensland seamer Michael Neser earned Player of the Match honours for his eight total wickets, including 6-37 in Tasmania’s first innings. He also posted 33 handy runs.

The Bulls will go on to face frontrunner South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval with eyes on upgrading to an Adelaide Oval away trip in the final. Tasmania, planted at the bottom of the ladder, hosts New South Wales in the final round. The Blues currently occupy third spot after a draw with Western Australia.

Over at the WACA Ground, nothing could separate New South Wales and Western Australia after four days of action. The hosts entered day four on 2-209, 144 runs in the lead. They would end up declaring just after lunch on 4d-346, leaving New South Wales to chase 282 from 57 overs for victory.

Hilton Cartwright finished WA’s innings on 171* having combined with Cameron Bancroft (86) in a decisive third-wicket partnership. The pair put on 192 runs to steer their side out of a hole at 2-28, after Liam Hatcher (2-47) made a double breakthrough in the 16th over.

In response, NSW opener Nic Maddinson went without scoring in the first over, but Sam Konstas (50) showed some grit and Matthew Gilkes (53*) hung in there to ensure the Blues would see out a draw. The result sees both teams remain alive in the epic race to this season’s decider.

Having come into the round in second and third respectively, Western Australia and New South Wales have been leapfrogged by Queensland. WA will host Victoria to end its home-and-away campaign, while the Blues head down to take on Tasmania in Hobart with hopes of reclaiming second place.

SCORECARDS

VICTORIA vs. SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Junction Oval, Melbourne

RESULT: South Australia won by 4 wickets
POTM: Jake Lehmann (South Australia)
TOSS: South Australia elected to bowl first

1st Innings: Victoria 10-285 (69.5)
Campbell Kellaway 79 (137), Blake Macdonald 45 (86), Sam Harper 44 (33)
Henry Thornton 4-42 (12.5), Jordan Buckingham 4-70 (18), Ben Manenti 1-45 (11)

2nd Innings: South Australia 10-283 (94.2)
Nathan McSweeney 60 (199), Harry Nielsen 45 (92), Jake Lehmann 40 (43)
Fergus O’Neill 5-51 (28.2), Scott Boland 4-53 (23), Xavier Crone 1-53 (12)

South Australia trailed by 2 runs.

3rd Innings: Victoria 10-297 (88.2)
Campbell Kellaway 77 (189), Harry Dixon 76 (86), Fergus O’Neill 34 (58)
Liam Scott 4-49 (14.2), Henry Thornton 3-44 (16), Jordan Buckingham 2-68 (19)

Victoria led by 299 runs.

4th Innings: South Australia 6-300 (96.3)
Jake Lehmann 105* (193), Liam Scott 83 (137), Henry Hunt 66 (140)
Scott Boland 3-69 (20), Fergus O’Neill 2-49 (21), Sam Elliott 1-43 (16)

—

TASMANIA vs. QUEENSLAND
Bellerive Oval, Hobart

RESULT: Queensland won by 9 wickets
POTM: Michael Neser (Queensland)
TOSS: Tasmania elected to bowl first

1st Innings: Queensland 9d-425 (116.5)
Usman Khawaja 127 (221), Lachlan Hearne 74 (119), Michael Neser 33 (50)
Beau Webster 3-71 (23), Gabe Bell 3-79 (28), Mitchell Owen 1-19 (5)

2nd Innings: Tasmania 10-161 (52.4)
Jake Weatherald 55 (78), Nivethan Radhakrishnan 39 (106), Mitchell Owen 12 (14)
Michael Neser 6-37 (15), Mark Steketee 3-46 (13)

Tasmania trailed by 264 runs.

3rd Innings: Tasmania 10-345 (94.4)
Jake Weatherald 71 (81), Beau Webster 64* (103), Tim Ward 52 (85)
Mark Steketee 3-87 (23), Mitch Swepson 2-23 (14), Michael Neser 2-59 (19)

Tasmania led by 81 runs.

4th Innings: Queensland 1-82 (25.4)
Jack Clayton 34* (71), Usman Khawaja 33* (66)
Riley Meredith 1-26 (8)

—

WESTERN AUSTRALIA vs. NEW SOUTH WALES
WACA Ground, Perth

RESULT: Western Australia drew w/ New South Wales
POTM: Hilton Cartwright (Western Australia)
TOSS: New South Wales elected to bowl first

1st Innings: Western Australia 10-196 (68.3)
Joel Curtis 42 (76), Ashton Turner 42 (51), Sam Whiteman 25 (72)
Jackson Bird 3-22 (15.5), Ryan Hadley 2-21 (10.1), Liam Hatcher 2-39 (12)

2nd Innings: New South Wales 10-261 (108.3)
Kurtis Patterson 86 (260), Jack Edwards 48 (101), Matthew Gilkes 41 (133)
Lance Morris 5-26 (20.3), Cameron Gannon 2-41 (25), Joel Paris 1-37 (20)

New South Wales led by 65 runs.

3rd Innings: Western Australia 4d-346 (120)
Hilton Cartwright 171* (294), Cameron Bancroft 86 (277), Sam Fanning 59 (103)
Liam Hatcher 2-47 (20), Jack Edwards 1-36 (23), Ryan Hadley 1-61 (22)

Western Australia led by 281 runs.

4th Innings: New South Wales 4-130 (55)
Matthew Gilkes 53* (97), Sam Konstas 50 (107)
Joel Paris 2-8 (13), Corey Rocchiccioli 2-54 (18)

Match drawn.

SHEFFIELD SHIELD STANDINGS

1. South Australia | 6-2-1 | 51.76 points
2. Queensland | 3-3-3 | 36.8 points
3. New South Wales | 3-3-3 | 35.39 points
4. Western Australia | 3-3-3 | 34.43 points
5. Victoria | 3-1-5 | 32.49 points
6. Tasmania | 2-2-5 | 27.61 points

Win = 6 points | Draw/No Result/Tie = 1 point

BONUS POINTS:
Batting: 0.01 of a bonus point for every run over 200 in the first 100 overs of their first innings.
Bowling: 0.1 of a bonus point for every wicket in the first 100 overs of opponent’s first innings.

REMAINING FIXTURES

MARCH 15-18:
South Australia vs. Queensland @ Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
Western Australia vs. Victoria @ WACA Ground, Perth
Tasmania vs. New South Wales @ Bellerive Oval, Hobart

THE FINAL:
South Australia vs. 2nd, March 26-30 @ TBC