South Australia win Back-to-Back Finals

South Australia have won their second consecutive Sheffield Shield Final, defeating Victoria by 56 runs after they bowled out Victoria for 139 runs in the last innings. 

South Australia’s Captain, Nathan McSweeney, said he thought the game had potentially ‘slipped through their hands’ when they collapsed to 7-122 in their second innings and led by 59 runs. 

But a 125-run partnership between South Australia’s Alex Carey and Nathan McAndrew bolstered the lead to 195 runs.

Carey and McAndrew scored most of their runs through the off-side as Victoria left a fielder at deep point for majority of the innings, that led to many singles.

Victoria’s opening batsmen, Sam Harper and Campbell Kellaway chased the lead aggressively, scoring 25 runs in the first six overs, however the run rate slowed as Victoria fell to 3-35. 

Victoria’s middle-order batsmen, Peter Handscomb and Marcus Harris struggled to score early in their innings because of South Australia’s consistently good bowling length that was too short to drive yet not wide enough to cut through the off-side.

M. Harris and Handscomb had a partnership of 67 runs as they patiently waited for fuller deliveries that they drove or worked onto the leg side. 

But Handscomb and M. Harris both edged it to fielders behind the stumps in the last twenty minutes of play on day four.

South Australia’s coach, Ryan Harris, said the wickets of M. Harris and Handscomb were the turning point of the match, as Victoria then lost a further 5 wickets for 27 runs.

Victoria scored 261 runs in their first innings as M. Harris scored 40 and all-rounder, Fergus O'Neill, scored 64.

McAndrew won player of the match for his match-saving partnership with Carey and for taking 7 wickets throughout the game, but he said the whole bowling group did ‘incredibly well’.  

Victoria’s opening bowlers, Scott Boland and O’Neill dismissed the South Australia’s openers for less than 10 runs in both innings.  

McSweeney scored 52 in the first innings but he was less decisive in his decision making in the second innings, as he was dismissed lbw after not offering a shot.

Victoria’s fast bowler, Mitchell Perry, dismissed McSweeney on his first ball of the match as Perry was subbed into the game after Victoria’s Sam Elliot injured his hamstring.

Victorian Captain, Will Sutherland said the final was the hardest shield game of his life but he said Victoria are ‘building something special’ over the next few years. 

Meanwhile, this is the first consecutive finals win in South Australia’s 133-year history.