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Victoria take the honours out of Day1 of the Sheffield Shield final, reducing the Southern Redbacks to 8 for 325 at the end of 90 overs.
The day ebbed and flowed, back and forth for each team. The Redbacks looked in a position to dominate on numerous occasions but were reduced by the Bushrangers who took their wickets in clumps.
After a fast start that saw Jake Weatherald get off to a flyer with Mark Cosgrove in the slow going at the other end, Weatherald would be removed for 66 at better than a run a ball. The end of his innings was beginning to look like a One Day game and he was beginning to drag the match away from the Busrhrangers.
Cosgrove was then joined by Sam Raphael and the pair built a solid stand through lunch. Jon Holland, who ended up with three wickets and bowled 29 overs would be the difference maker throughout the day’s play though.
A clever bit of bowling got rid of Raphael and that brought on a flow of wickets as Jake Lehman and Travis Head went cheaply.
After Victoria wasted the first new ball of the match on Chris Tremain, who went off with injury towards the end of the days play and Scott Boland they had got themselves into a very strong position.
Alex Carey and Alex Ross however, would then join at the wicket and amass quite a partnership leaving the Bushrangers up against the wall again.
A quick flurry of wickets at the end of the day though, as the Bushrangers used the second new ball effectively has reduced the Redbacks to almost all out at the end of Day 1.
Whichever way this match goes, with a good weather forecast it certainly doesn’t look like it will be a draw, but the Bushrangers need to pick up the remaining two wickets early tomorrow while the Redbacks need to hang around for as long as possible and add whatever runs they can get.
Anything less than 350, you would have to think is below par on this wicket which didn’t look like it was doing an awful lot. Particularly with no spinners, and the way Jon Holland bowled South Australia could be in some trouble.
South Australia 8/325 (90)
Jake Weatherald – Caught Wade, Bowled Christian 66 (61)
Mark Cosgrove – LBW, Bowled Tremain 42 (102)
Sam Raphael – Bowled Jon Holland 29 (87)
Travis Head – Caught Cameron White, Bowled Christian 21 (21)
Jake Lehman – Bowled Jon Holland 14 (25)
Alex Ross – Bowled Bolland 72 (108)
Alex Carey – Caught Peter Handscomb, Bowled Jon Holland 50 (73)
Joe Mennie – Caught Matthew Wade, Bowled Fawad Ahmed 1 (10)
Chadd Sayers – 20
Daniel Worrall – 5
Chris Tremain 1/65 (14)
Scott Boland 1/60 (19)
Marcus Stoinis 0/34 (8)
Daniel Christian 2/43 (11)
Jon Holland 3/86 (29)
Fawad Ahmed 1/33 (9)
The 2015-16 Sheffield Shield season reaches its climax with the Southern Redbacks looking to win for the first time in 20 years against the Victorian Bushrangers at Gilderol Stadium in Glenelg. Join The Roar for live scores of Day 1 from 11am (AEDT).
Qualification for the final of the season came down to the very last round, with four teams still in the hunt.
In the end, it would come down to a few draws and some bonus points. The Redbacks were fourth coming into the last round, but a smashing win by an innings and 78 runs over the Tasmanian Tigers, combined with the Queensland Bulls losing to the Western Warriors by an innings and six runs has seen the Redbacks leapfrog everyone into first spot.
The Bushrangers on the other hand had their second draw of the season against the New South Wales Blues and managed to hang onto second spot thanks to the Bulls suffering that huge loss.
So the stage is set. The Redbacks thumping win must be taken in context. The Tigers are glued to the bottom of the table and have been all season only winning two of their 10 matches. So, while yes the Tigers were knocked over for 91 and 177 with Chadd Sayers taking a combined 10 wickets, it can’t be taken out of proportion.
Victoria only saved their place in the final thanks to a massive, match-saving innings from Cameron White. He would score 97 from 253 balls, batting through most of Day 4 in Alice Springs, under huge amounts of pressure to hang on.
So often, the home team in a Sheffield Shield Final will play for the draw, only needing that to win the competition. Redbacks coach Jamie Siddons has come out swinging though, declaring his side will play for the victory.
That may not be a bad tactic. The Redbacks batsmen have struggled on various occasions this season, and their pace bowling arsenal led by Sayers and Daniel Worall has been the strong point.
The Bushrangers will need everything to go right for them, as they aim to become the first away team to win a Shield final in a decade. Their pace attack will play second fiddle to Jon Holland and Fawad Ahmed, particularly as the match moves into the later stages.
The away team won on both occasions when the teams met earlier in the season, with the Redbacks winning the first and then the Bushrangers winning a day-night clash in round seven.
Prediction
Victoria could just do this. South Australia’s top order looks fragile.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of the first day in the 2015-16 Sheffield Shield final from 11am (AEDT) and don’t forget to add your own comments in the section below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde