2 weeks Ago
South Australia have broken an eye-watering nine-year hoodoo against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, snatching a victory at the eleventh hour at Adelaide Oval. Meanwhile in Tasmania, Western Australian recruit Brody Couch took a drought-breaking hat-trick to see his new side home by an innings over the Tigers. And in New South Wales, the Blues and Queensland Bulls played out an underwhelming draw as weather prevented a result.
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SPINNER’S SIX-FOR SEES SOUTH AUSSIES BREAK NINE-YEAR DROUGHT Victoria collapsed in a heap as Lloyd Pope produced his best domestic performance in six years to spin South Australia to victory on the final day of the Sheffield Shield clash at Adelaide Oval. Pope claimed 6-74 from 30.5 overs to reignite his stalled red-ball career, and hand the South Aussies an extremely rare set of back-to-back Shield wins - steering them into second place on the table.
The 24-year-old leg-spinner’s figures were his best since he took 7-87 against Queensland in only his second first-class game – a haul which had come not long after he made his name as a teenager by destroying England with 8-35 in the 2018 Under 19 World Cup. Pope’s career had been in the doldrums since and despite a resurgence for the Adelaide Strikers in the last BBL campaign, he entered the Shield clash with a bowling average of more than 60 in the longer format. And with Round 3 Shield clash between the two long-time rivals seemingly heading towards a draw - with Victoria 1/111 after 52 overs halfway through the fourth day’s play - conditions were already tough enough for Pope to insert himself into the game.
Three-state quick Henry Thornton got the ball rolling with his second wicket of the day, removing opener Ashley Chandrasinghe for a valiant 52 off 169 balls. Enter Pope. His first wicket required a magnificent slips catch from Ben Manenti to remove Peter Handscomb for 8, but Pope proved almost unplayable from there as Victoria failed to bat out the fourth day after deciding not to pursue the 362-run target.
He drew Sam Harper out of his crease to have him stumped for four and then bowled Mitch Perry with a big-turning legbreak after the left-hander had remained at the crease with Campbell Kellaway (80 off 228) for almost two hours. Pope then had Kellaway out leg before wicket shortly after, triggering a Victorian tail collapse, where they lost 4-6 to crumble to 207 all out. After a first innings five-wicket haul, Manenti bowled 28 overs on the final day for remarkable figures of 1-27 - capping off an incredible four-day fixture for the bowling all-rounder.
The 27-year-old was named man of the match after he also made a crucial unbeaten 62 to set up South Australia’s lead in the second innings. Australian keeper Alex Carey continued his red-hot start to the summer with the bat by posting fluent scores of 44 and 42. HAT-TRICK RETRIBUTION FOR WA Fast bowler Brody Couch has claimed the first Sheffield Shield hat-trick in five years to crush Tasmania’s resistance and deliver a thumping victory for Western Australia in Hobart.
Couch, who crossed from Victoria to WA after only managing to break through for a single first-class game, could be the recruit of the season after providing the key breakthrough as Tasmania batted for a draw on the final day of the Shield clash. Keeper Jake Doran had crawled to just 16 from 144 balls before Couch came around the wicket to trap the left-hander lbw and reduce the home side to 7-89. He followed it with a short-pitched delivery which shot through at ankle-height and smashed into Lawrence Neil-Smith’s off-stump before a fuller ball beat Kieran Elliott’s outside edge to complete the hat-trick.
Couch, 24, took off to point in a wild celebration and was mobbed by teammates before Ashton Agar claimed the final wicket to secure an innings and 45-run victory with two hours remaining in the day. The right-armer’s hat-trick in only his fourth Sheffield Shield game was the first in the competition since Queensland leg-spinner Mitch Swepson struck in three consecutive deliveries against Victoria at the MCG in 2019. WA was able to skittle Tasmania for 98 without experienced seamer Matt Kelly, who suffered a quad strain while bowling on the second day.
It compounded the loss of red-ball captain Sam Whiteman, who was a late withdrawal from the clash due to a side strain. The emphatic response to WA’s One-Day Cup humiliation at the hands of Tassie pair Billy Stanlake and Beau Webster last week ensured they would finish the round on top of the Sheffield Shield table. RAIN RUNS BATTLE OF YOUNG GUNS The rain-affected clash between New South Wales and Queensland petered out into a draw as the captains shook hands two hours before stumps with no result in sight.
NSW were 4-256 in their second innings after Queensland had taken a 167-run first innings lead at Cricket Central. Dynamic middle-order bat Ollie Davies, who will play for Australia A at the MCG later this week, fell just short of a hundred as he slammed 11 fours and a six before holing out for 88. Kurtis Patterson also moved to re-cement himself in the Blues’ line-up with a second-innings 66 after posting 91 on the opening day.
Queensland No. 3 Angus Lovell was awarded man of the match for his unbeaten 146, which continued a remarkable run of form following his commanding 250 not out in a second XI game against Victoria last month. It was the 25-year-old’s fifth Sheffield Shield game after he played the final four games of last season for the Bulls.
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