Sheffield Shield: Western Australia will host Tasmania in the final after two significant final round results

After a long Sheffield Shield season hosting rights for the final came down to the final matches and for one team the results didn’t go as hoped.

Western Australia is in the box seat to snare a third-straight Sheffield Shield title after winning hosting rights in a crazy final round which included an upset in Tasmania which cost them home ground advantage.

After ladder-leaders Tassie were beaten on their home deck by South Australia early on Wednesday, the WA bowlers rolled through Victoria for a second time in three days to seize an amazing 138-run win at the Junction Oval and set up a WACA decider in search of a three-peat.

“It’s pretty amazing, today’s result, you could either miss the final or host one,” WA captain Sam Whiteman said.

“It felt like the game was swaying one way or another every half hour. There’s a pretty good feeling in the group right now”.

Tasmanian skipper Jordan Silk was also adamant he was still “proud” of his team which only needed a draw against SA to play the decider in Hobart but instead were rolled for 123 and then 189 in the second innings to lose to the Redbacks by 134 runs, knowing the result in Melbourne would then decide their fate.

“We would have travelled anywhere to be part of the Shield final and regardless of what happens at the Junction Oval,” he said.

“I’m still immensely proud of what this group has been able to achieve this year.”

That includes the achievements of all-round star Beau Webster, who topped the Shield run-scoring list with a monstrous 914 and also took 26 wickets in what Silk called “the best individual season I’ve seen” and he looms as a key play in the final.

With eyes turned to Melbourne, an early morning shower caused a delayed start before Test quick Scott Boland took the four final WA second innings wickets leaving his team 269 runs to get to force their way in.

OMG 🤯

Sam Harper that is an incredible catch! Cam Bancroft's reaction at the end says it all!#SheffieldShield#[e-mail]/XcAQnFB6EV

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 13, 2024

On a tricky deck things didn’t start well with openers Marcus Harris and Nic Maddinson out early before former captain Peter Handscomb was also sent back to the sheds and the Vics were 3-31, the visitors already thinking about another final at the WACA.

The WA fielders then got a serious case of the drops as several catches went down including young star Campbell Kellaway, who went on to 53, twice.

But he was the lone figure in otherwise limp resistance from the home team who were all out for 130 in their chase, having made only 144 in the first innings of a match they had to win to get back to the final, also for a third straight year.

Liam Haskett took 3-12 for WA, as the Vics lost 4-4 at the end to close out a meek final round performance.

“The boys maybe ran out of steam a bit with the ball, then our batting let us down,” Victorian captain Will Sutherland, who couldn’t bowl because of a back issue, said.

“I thought we could have chased that. You have to look to the batting for this game.

“We’re on a journey, still a young group, so there are elements of that there. But this one does hurt quite a bit, maybe more than making the final and losing. It’s frustrating.”

All the drama unfolded as rising NSW star Ollie Davies pounded out his third century of the season in Brisbane to propel his team towards an eight point haul against Queensland.

Davies smashed 14 fours and a six in his innings of 131, off just 147 balls, taking his season run haul to 645, the most of any batters at NSW in a breakthrough red-ball season having made a name for himself as a T20 gun.

Ollie Davies made his third century of the season for New South Wales (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

His effort pushed the Blues to 316 in their first innings, a lead of 172, having also picked up 2.16 bowling and batting bonus points which would rise to 8.16 points for the match should they win. It won’t however, be enough to challenge for a spot in the final.

Queensland slumped to 4-42 in response before fight came from Jimmy Pearson (64) and Jack Wildermuth (47) who pushed their team’s lead to 115 runs, reaching 8-287 at stumps witn one day to play.