WA eyeing Shield title after Victoria’s collapse

A determined Will Sutherland looms as the biggest hurdle to Western Australia defending their Sheffield Shield crown after a nightmare collapse on day three of the final.

The visitors went to stumps on day three at the WACA Ground at 6-122, leading WA by just two runs in their second innings.

A hobbled Sutherland, who is reported to be suffering back soreness after claiming a five-wicket haul during WA’s first innings, was unbeaten on 40 off 39 balls after failing to emerge until the fall of the sixth wicket.

Will Sutherland in action for Victoria on Saturday. Credit: Gety Images

Victoria resumed after tea at 2-19 and restored some momentum through captain Peter Handscomb (52), who was the only other visiting batter to reach double figures.

But youngster Teague Wyllie’s superb catch diving forward at midwicket to dislodge Campbell Kellaway (seven off 63 balls) off the bowling of Matt Kelly (2-17) sparked a collapse of 4-10 to leave the visitors in peril at 6-74.

Handscomb was the last to fall, picking out Corey Rocchiccioli at deep point while cutting a short-pitched Lance Morris delivery.

Returning to Shield cricket after Australia’s Test tour of India, Handscomb had otherwise looked in commanding touch.

Victoria must win outright to claim the title after WA outpaced the visitors on bonus points by dismissing them within the first 100 overs of their first innings, leaving Sutherland and Mitch Perry (7no) facing a mammoth task.

Joel Paris (3-32) was the chief destroyer for the hosts, dismissing Marcus Harris (one) and Ash Chandrasinghe (eight) during an opening spell of 2-7.

Ashley Chandrasinghe of Victoria slides in to get back into his crease. Credit: Getty Images

After carrying his bat and scoring just 46 from almost seven hours at the crease in the first dig, Chandrasinghe unwisely shouldered arms to a Paris delivery on eight which nipped back and hit the top of off stump.

Ashton Turner earlier compiled his highest first-class score with a magnificent 128 before WA were bowled out in their first innings for 315 in response to Victoria’s 195.

Turner partnered with tailender Paris (31) for a 105-run stand, batting superbly against the new ball after WA resumed at 5-175.

The 30-year-old had not played in the Shield since October 2020 before earning a recall for last week’s final-round game against the same opponents at the same venue.

He was feted by his hometown crowd after taking a quick single off the bowling of Todd Murphy to reach his hundred off 190 balls.

Ashton Turner plays a shot across the ground.Credit: Getty Images

Turner’s last first-class century came in November 2017 when he made an unbeaten 101 against Queensland, building on two tons the previous season.

His counter-attacking 86-run stand with Aaron Hardie (45) turned the game for WA on day two after they had collapsed to 4-53.

Victory across the remaining two days would secure WA an unprecedented ‘six-peat’ of consecutive Shield, one-day cup and Big Bash League titles.

Day two: Western Australia closing in on first-innings lead

Western Australia are closing in on a first-innings lead over Victoria in the Sheffield Shield final after Ashton Turner led a bold fightback in difficult conditions.

Bad light brought play to a premature end on a rain-disrupted day two at the WACA Ground with WA 5-175 in response to Victoria’s 195.

Turner (49no) combined with Aaron Hardie (45) to mount a gutsy counter-attack after the hosts collapsed to be 4-53 midway through Friday’s play.

The defending champions began the final session at 4-125 after a rain delay of more than 90 minutes and quickly lost Hardie, whose attempted pull shot to a Will Sutherland delivery was top-edged for a comfortable catch at mid-off.

Josh Philippe maintained the aggression, striking several gorgeous straight drive boundaries on the way to an unbeaten 25 off 29 balls.

Ashton Turner hits through the off-side.Credit: Getty Images

He and Turner will look to close the deficit and build a handy first-innings lead when play resumes on Saturday as WA chases an unprecedented “six-peat” of consecutive Shield, one-day cup and Big Bash titles.

WA coach Adam Voges hailed Turner’s calmness under pressure to help wrestle back the momentum for the hosts.

“It’s easy to say you’re going to do that but then to go out and execute it the way he did today, I thought was outstanding,” he said.

“We needed someone to stand up and we’ve seen those two guys, particularly in pressure situations and in big games, have stood up in the past. It was great for them to have a partnership together.”

Sutherland (4-44) was the clear pick of the bowlers for Victoria, hitting probing lengths and finding movement off the seam, although Scott Boland (1-27) also built plenty of pressure with a typically miserly performance.

Victoria must win outright to claim the title after WA claimed a bonus point by dismissing the visitors within the first 100 overs of their first innings.

In the event of a draw and equal bonus points, WA would prevail as the higher-ranked team on the ladder.

Will Sutherland sends down a thunderbolt.Credit: Getty Images

“There’s been a lot of wickets in two days,” Sutherland said.

“Hopefully it can just be a normal result and we don’t have to rely on the bonus points. If that happens, we’re still a good chance to win this game.”

Mitch Perry’s stunning catch to dismiss Hilton Cartwright for a duck highlighted an action-packed middle session in which Victoria briefly turned the game on its head.

Having absorbed 18 balls without scoring, Cartwright threw his arms at a short and wide delivery from Sutherland but it was snaffled by Perry at point with a stunning reflex catch diving to his left.

Cameron Bancroft’s bright start had earlier been extinguished on 26 when he was caught at square leg off the bowling of Boland.

The Shield’s leading run-scorer this season with four centuries, Bancroft has at times been vulnerable playing off his pads and fell victim to a well-laid Victorian trap.

Victoria opener Ash Chandrasinghe earlier carried his bat in one of the slowest Shield knocks in recent memory, scoring just 46 from 280 balls in more than six hours at the crease.

The 21-year-old added just five runs to his score in Thursday’s middle session but his patient knock could yet prove influential given the difficult batting conditions.

Ashes hopeful Lance Morris (3-53) led WA’s attack with a typically fiery performance in his first red-ball match since December.

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Day one: Victoria 8-194 at stumps

Young opener Ash Chandrasinghe’s unbeaten vigil has shepherded Victoria towards a respectable first-innings total against Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield final.

Sent in to bat in a rematch of last year’s decider at the WACA Ground, the visitors were in trouble at 6-129 when Lance Morris (2-52) had Sam Harper (13) caught behind off a brutish delivery on the last ball of Thursday’s middle session.

But Chandrasinghe (46no off 266 balls) dug in his heels in a knock reminiscent of Indian stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara, combining with Mitch Perry (33) for a 52-run seventh-wicket partnership as Victoria reached stumps on day one at 8-194.

Ashley Chandrasinghe during his patient innings.Credit: Getty Images

Recalled Test offspinner Todd Murphy was yet to score.

Chandrasinghe rode his luck. He survived being caught behind off a front-foot no ball from Morris while on 25 shortly before tea, then withstood a fervent appeal for caught behind off Matt Kelly (1-50) on 45.

The 21-year-old, who scored an unbeaten century on debut against Tasmania earlier in the season, added just five runs to his score in the middle session but produced some shots as WA’s bowlers tired late in the day.

Ashes hopefuls Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb each fell cheaply, the former trapped lbw by Morris on 19 two balls after he was caught in the slips off another overstepped delivery by the tearaway quick.

Returning skipper Handscomb (11) was trapped in his crease and caught at first slip off the bowling of Matt Kelly shortly after the lunch interval.

On a day where the momentum ebbed and flowed, Victoria were 2-66 at lunch before Matt Short (36 off 60) added valuable middle-session runs, pouncing on some loose deliveries from allrounder Aaron Hardie.

WA’s Lance Morris unleashes on day one.Credit: Getty Images

He was eventually tied up from around the wicket by left-arm paceman Joel Paris (2-34), playing and missing several balls before edging to second slip.

Will Sutherland fell off his second ball faced, stumped by Josh Philippe after being bamboozled by offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli.

Perry was dropped by Josh Philippe on four off Paris’s bowling but the pair combined again to dismiss him with the new ball.

WA are chasing an unprecedented “six-peat” of consecutive Shield, one-day cup and Big Bash titles.

In the scenario of a draw, the bonus points system will be used.

Teams score 0.01 of a bonus point for every run over 200 they score during the first 100 overs of their first innings, while 0.1 of a bonus point is earned for every wicket the bowling side claims during the same period.

AAP