‘Incredible scenes’: Wild crowd invasion as South Australia win Sheffield Shield

There have been wild scenes of celebration in Adelaide as the crowd went berserk as South Australia broke a 29-year cricket drought.

Inspired by second-innings centuries from Jason Sangha and Alex Carey, South Australia has won the Sheffield Shield title for the first time in 29 years with a four-wicket victory over Queensland in the final at Karen Rolton Oval.

Needing 270 to win the decider at the start of day four on Saturday, SA slumped to 3-28 to give the Bulls real hope of completing a remarkable comeback victory after being dismissed for just 95 in their first innings.

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However, that was to be end of Queensland’s joy, with Sangha (126 not out) and Carey (105) sharing in a superb fourth-wicket partnership of 202 that blunted the Bulls.

Carey’s blazing innings came to an end in the 62nd over when he edged a swinging full toss from Mark Steketee on to his stumps to leave South Australia at 4-230.

Despite the subsequent loss of two more wickets – Jake Lehmann (8) and Liam Scott (0) – SA secured victory in the 70th over.

Fittingly, it was Sangha who scored the winning run through mid-wicket, leading to delighted storming on to the oval to celebrate SA’s first Shield crown since 1996.

The win also completed a domestic 2024-25 double for SA, who also lifted the season’s One-Day Cup.

South Australia are Sheffield Shield champions. Photo: Fox Cricket.

South Australian coach Ryan Harris celebrates. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

Absolute scenes. Photo: Fox Cricket.

Sangha and Carey were understated throughout their innings and neither batter celebrated when they reached triple figures, opting not to remove their helmets as they focused on getting South Australia across the line.

Jason Gillespie said in commentary: “What an innings Alex Carey, absolutely brilliant.

“That was quite a low key celebration. Alex Carey and Jason Sangha, they didn’t embrace, there was a bit of a glove punch. Win the game.”

Commentator Henry Olonga said: “Alex Carey was just like, I’m here for business let’s get on with the game.”

Sangha was smiling ear to ear as South Australia was presented with the Sheffield Shield and the champagne corks went flying as the celebrations kicked off.

There were wild scenes as a packed crowd at Karen Rolton Oval flooded onto the field as Sangha hit the winning runs, and you could easily have been mistaken for thinking an AFL player had kicked 1000 goals, such were the jubilant scenes.

Watch the raucous crowd pitch invasion in the video above

Jason Sangha was mobbed. Photo: Fox Cricket.

A fan took a stump as the crowd invaded Karen Rolton Oval. Photo: Fox Sports.

SA fans celebrate the win at Karen Rolton Oval. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Sangha was mobbed by fans as he made his way from the field, eventually removing his helmet and raising his bat in celebration before embracing his teammates.

One enthusiastic pitch invader spectator even managed to pick one of the stumps out of the pitch and claim themselves a valuable souvenir.

Delighted for South Australia .. #SheffieldShield Winners .. 👍👍

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 29, 2025

How bloody good is cricket. Incredible scenes at Karen Rolton Oval. Congrats to the SACAs, deserve every bit of it.

— Corbin Middlemas (@CorbinMiddlemas) March 29, 2025

Alex Carey you are an absolute ⭐️ 🏏❤️

— Darren Berry (@ChuckBerry1969) March 29, 2025

Alex Carey in the Sheffield Shield this season:

Matches - 5
Runs - 741
Ave - 82.3
100s - 4

👏 🏏 #SheffieldShield

— Glenn Mitchell (@MitchellGlenn) March 29, 2025

Shield Final as it happened

It what proved to be a costly miss for the Bulls, Sangha was given a life when he was on just 13 when Ben McDermott failed to grasp a tough catch at second slip off the bowling of Mark Steketee.

McDermott had earlier taken a good catch to – also off the bowling of Steketee – to complete the dismissal of Hunt and leave SA at 2-13.

McInerney was the first wicket to fall, edging paceman Michael Neser to Angus Lovell at third slip in the third over of the innings.

Steketee struck again in the 16th over, when wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson took a fine catch to send McSweeney back to the pavilion.

SA fans were loving it. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Alex Carey and Jason Sangha got South Australia over the line. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

Sangha and Test wicketkeeper Carey then steadied their team’s innings, taking the total to 73 by lunch.

They then upped the ante between lunch and tea, adding 109 more runs to SA’s total to put their side in command, with the hosts completing the job in the final session.

The Bulls, inspired by centuries on Friday from Jack Wildermuth (111) and Jack Clayton (100), made 445 in their second innings in a complete contra to their poor first-innings display.

SA reached 271 in its first innings, with Jake Lehmann making 102.

Among the heroes for the winners was former Queensland paceman Brendan Doggett, who had match figures of 11-140.