Scott Boland took 10 wickets at the SCG but Victoria’s batters let him down as WA moved off the bottom of the Sheffield Shield table

A Sheffield Shield four-peat for WA is back on the table while a starring role from Scott Boland couldn’t stop a big defeat as results from round eight rolled in.

Test gun Scott Boland took six second innings wickets at the SCG, and 10 for the game against NSW in his first Sheffield Shield match since returning from Sri Lanka.

But his batting teammates failed to back him up in a match they needed to win to stay in the top two as former Test quick Jackson Bird brought up a significant milestone in and guided NSW to a massive 76-run.

After Boland snared 6-46 and the home was dismissed for 174, setting up a chase for 231 with a day and a half to get the runs, the Vics lost the opening two wickets fast as 38-year-old Bird took his 400th and 401st Shield scalps, having played for Tasmania and NSW, moving in to fifth on the all-time wicket-takers list.

Then 2-11 became 3-11 as the visitors showed little resistance despite what was at stake with just two more games to go, none of the top five getting more than six runs.

Instead spinner Todd Murphy top scored for the Vics with 40 not out as they were all out for 154.

Bird, who took 34 wickets in his nine Tests for Australia, finished with 5-68 including his milestone wicket as NSW jumped in to second place on the table with two rounds of games to go.

Jackson Bird took his 400th Sheffield Shield wicket. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

“It probably means I’ve been around for a long time, but it’s nice to tick off the milestones along the way,” Bird said after play.

“But the goal of mine now is to win a Sheffield Shield.

“I’ve never won one, so that’s more important to me at the moment and it’s what’s driving me to keep playing at my age.”

AT the Gabba, Queensland were humbled on their home deck as reigning Shield champs Western Australia jumped from last on the on the table to second and potentially back into contention for a four-peat of titles.

After WA spinner Corey Rocchiccioli rolled through the Bulls on the opening day of the match, snaring seven wickets as Queensland was all out for just 147, the visiting batters put on what proved a mammoth score of 312.

Lance Morris was on a hat-trick at the Gabba. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Needing to make 165 just to make WA bat again, Queensland wickets instead tumbled with regularity, as “wild thing” Lance Morris turned up the heat taking 3-35 to help dismiss the home side for just 153.

Morris was on a hat-trick after dismissing Xavier Bartlett and Mark Steketee in consecutive balls, but sprayed his attempt at three in a row down the legside.

The win, by an innings and 12 runs, catapulted WA from last to third, just behind NSW, pending the result of the final game between South Australia and Tasmania, , such is the tight nature of this year’s competition.

AT the Adelaide Oval, SA set Tassie 381 runs to win their clash after Rebback batters six, seven and eight combined for 154 runs in a strong lower order push to a big second innings total of 388.

Remarkably it put the home team in prime position to win the game, despite having been bowled out for just 93 on the opening day of the match, an inexplicable batting effort when compared to the second innings.

Tasmania was making a good fistr of the chase, reaching 3-162 in the final session, with rookie opener Nivethan Radhakrishnan reaching a half-century, leaving what looms as a tricky fourth day chase for the final runs needed to win in a match turned on its head after a stunning opening.

The first 20 wickets of the game fell for just 194 runs, but SA turned an eight-run first innings deficit in to the massive lead on the back of an unbeaten 69 from Liam Scott and 75 from Jason Sangha.

Liam Scott waits to be checked and get a new helmet after being hit in the head (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

Scott had to replace his helmet during his innings after being hit on the head but remained unbeaten in what proved a crucial knock.

Already on top of the table, a victory would put SA in prime position to reach a first Shield final since 2016-17, having finished last five times in a row after losing to Victoria in that clash eight seasons ago.

Originally published as Scott Boland took 10 wickets at the SCG but Victoria’s batters let him down as WA moved off the bottom of the Sheffield Shield table