Victoria and South Australia have been unpredictable throughout the tournament but will both feel they have a good chance of joining New South Wales in Sunday’s grand final. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 1:45pm (AEDT).
Victoria registered important wins against Tasmania and table-toppers NSW in their last two games, but South Australia may feel they have the edge after winning the previous encounter between the teams just a week earlier.
That match was a low-scoring affair on a Blacktown pitch that has troubled batsmen throughout the competition.
However, low-scoring matches have been common for Victoria, whose bowlers have easily overshadowed their batsmen. James Pattinson, John Hastings and John Holland all reside in the top five for most wickets taken in the tournament.
Pattinson has the most of any from his side – 13 at an average of 17.15 – and while he didn’t exactly tear through South Australia’s line-up when the two sides met last week, he certainly proved a handful, ending with the figures of 1 for 20 off his 10 overs.
Those figures look much better when you consider that the one wicket he got was that of Travis Head, on naught.
South Australia’s recently appointed captain started the tournament in the most emphatic fashion possible, with a double century, but has had a handful of failings with the bat since, falling to Pattinson in the first over being one of the biggest.
Head is still South Australia’s leading run getter in the tournament, but with over two-thirds of those runs coming in one innings he will be looking to stamp his authority over a formidable new-ball attack.
Yet even with Head missing, a number of times they have been relatively strong with bat as a result of their depth. Callum Ferguson has perhaps been their most consistent batsman in the middle order, averaging over fifty, while the only player to make a half century from either side when the teams last met, Jake Lehmann, has strengthened their batting further
It is with the ball that South Australia have at times been exposed, as only the Cricket Australia XI have conceded more runs in the entire competition.
With an inexperienced bowling attack, they will be looking to their main strike-bowler, Kane Richardson, to make early inroads into what has been an occasionally erratic Victoria batting line-up.
Richardson is equal fourth most wickets for the competition, with 11, and has been South Australia’s best bowler. The fact he has taken five 5-wicket hauls in just 44 list-A appearances shows just how devastating he can be on the right day.
Victoria will be more confident of negating Richardson’s pace and skill after scoring 320 in their last game, but will still most likely be making a change to their batting order as Glenn Maxwell returns after being suspended for missing a recovery session.
Marcus Stoinis replaced Maxwell, and after making a terrific hundred will most likely stay in the side, hoping to further prove the Victorian selectors wrong for dropping him.
The reality is, whoever he replaces there will be a lot of pressure on Maxwell to perform – not just due to his suspension, but due to a disappointing tournament in general. He could well get out early and draw additional criticism, but South Australia know he has the potential to take the game away from them.
Prediction
Both sides’ performances have varied substantially over the course of the competition – showing a capacity for brilliance, but also exposing vulnerabilities.
Yet with a far superior net run-rate and a win against the team in first, Victoria can be truly brilliant when they find their stride.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
SA should be buying Stoinis beers for the next 6 months based on his effort to win them to game.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Final scores SA: 7/250 VIC 194 (46.4)
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
SA have put in their best performance of the tournament here, but in many respects VIC will feel as though they have let this one slip. They were on top with the ball as they suffocated SA for runs early on, but Alex Ross in cohesion with Mennie and Ricchardson lifted his side out of a rut and to a respectable total of 249. Yet even than VIC found themselves in a good position with the bat, despite the early loss of Finch. Quiney and Stoinis built a good partnership, but Stoinis in particular ate up far too many deliveries and left the rest of the batters too much to do on a pitch that was dwindling in terms of pace and bounce. A loss by 53 runs simply doesn't display that VIC were in command for much of the game, but SA's bowlers were very disciplined as all five of them carried their weight and for the most part were backed up well in the field.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Holland bowled 1 South Australia are through to the final! Holland looked to smash the ball over mid on but played the shot as you may expect a tail-ender would. Worrall simply put the ball on the stumps and was rewarded. He has deserved a wicket today as he has been nearly perfect with the ball in hand, he finishes with 1/24 off 8.4 overs.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 46 .,4,W,W,4lb,. Chasing (250) Victoria: 9/192 Holland: 0 Boland: 0 Richardson bowled poorly in his first over today but since then has barely put a foot wrong. As a result he now has three wickets to his name including two back to back in this over which has killed the game if it wasn't already dead. Worrall is back on who deserves a wicket to finish with.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Richardson went for the stumps on the hat-trick but veered down leg side as VIC pick up for leg byes.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Christian caught behind 20 Richardson is on a hat-trick for the second time in this competition. Christian played at a wide cutter and got a faint top edge to the keeper. Boland to face the hat-trick ball.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Pattinson caught deep cover 6 Pattinson new he simply had to go for the boundaries and actually hit this ball quite well. Richardson was looking to ball full and wide, Pattinson freed his arms but probably looked to hit straighter as his drive went almost straight to Ross at deep cover who only had to run in a bit. Holland is in but not on strike
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 45 wd,W,.,1,1,.,1 Chasing (250) Victoria: 6/183 Christian: 20 Pattinson: 1 SA have come back brilliantly here and a lot of that is down to the bowling of Mennie. The last five or six of Mennie's ten overs were nearly perfect and as a result he finishes with 2/41 off his 10. Richardson now in.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Hastings caught third man 0 Great catch from Richardson diving to his left at third man as Mennie picks up his second. Hastings looked to bunt the ball back over Mennie's head, but the slowness of the pitch had him reaching at the ball as he got a thick outside edge. The edge carried to third man who was in the inner circle and Richardson had a lot do as the ball came quickly to him but he moved very well. Pattinson now in.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 44 6,1,2,.,W,. Chasing (250) Victoria: 6/180 Christian: 19 Hastings: 0 A tough start to the over for Zampa but he came back strong and managed to dismiss Wade. Zampa finishes with 2/61 off his ten, his last spell a very good one.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Wade caught deep mid wicket 12 Zampa had given Wade a good work over since he came to the crease and with VIC needing quick runs it was likely he would get his man. Wade decided a boundary was needed and looked to launch the ball over deep mid wicket with a lofted sweep. But the ball hit near the top edge and Ferguson caught him comfortably. Hastings is now in.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Six, Christian skips down the pitch and launches Zampa well over long on.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 43 1,.,1,1,1,2 Chasing (250) Victoria: 5/171 Christian: 12 Wade: 10 Mennie is good once more. He has bowled full and has often cramped the batters for room, ome extra swing has also made him very hard to play.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 42 1,1,.,1,2,6 Chasing (250) Victoria: 5/165 Christian: 10 Wade: 6 That six off the last ball was desperately needed by VIC. Up to that point Zampa had appeared almost unplayable but delivered a big full toss off the last ball which Christian happily dispatched over the rope for six.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 41 .,1,2,.,.,1 Chasing (250) Victoria: 5/154 Christian: 1 Wade: 4 Mennie delivered a mixed bag early on in the game but has been exceptional in his last few overs and gave Wade quite a few problems here. The pressure on VIC is mounting as at times they are struggling to get singles let alone boundaries.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 40 .,.,.,.,.,. Chasing (250) Victoria: 5/150 Christian: 0 Wade: 1 Wade doesn't usually face many dot balls but Zampa is bowling superbly and has tied Wade down in that over for a priceless maiden. It will now take some spectacular hitting for VIC to pull this off.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
Over 39 .,.,W,.,1,. Chasing (250) Victoria: 5/150 Christian: 0 Wade: 0 Mennie returns brilliantly, taking the wicket of Maxwell and only conceding a run in the process. With a hundred runs yet to get VIC are really struggling, maybe VIC left their attack too late.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
WICKET Maxwell caught deep cover 7 VIC are falling apart his as Maxwell departs looking for the big shot. You can't really blame Maxwell for looking to get things moving with the required run rate approaching nine per over. Maxwell looked to play a lofted drive fairly straight, but was though the shot too early and ended up slicing the ball towards cover. Ross ran in from deep and took a good catch diving forward. Christian is now in, the last recognised batter for VIC.
Klaus Nannestad
Roar Guru
It was actually Cooper who took the catch not Head. Mennie is on