WA smash Redbacks in Marsh Cup opener

Centuries from Josh Philippe and Mitch Marsh have propelled Western Australia to a 78-run victory against South Australia in the domestic one-day cup opener.

Philippe (137) and Marsh (111) savaged SA’s bowlers with a record partnership as the reigning title-holders posted 6-352 on Wednesday in Adelaide.

Rain reduced SA’s target to 316 from 43 overs but the Redbacks mustered 237 all out from 38.3 overs despite Alex Carey’s unbeaten 128.

Opener Carey played a lone hand with his sparkling 106-ball knock – no other SA batsman reached 20.

Carey’s top-order partners misfired with SA losing 5-63 in a 11-over span that cruelled their chase – the hosts were 5-90 in the 14th over and never recovered.

“A disappointing day … not the way we want to start,” Carey said.

“But that’s cricket. We will learn from a really experienced group and a really strong group in WA.”

Australian paceman Jason Behrendorff was the chief destroyer, taking three of the initial four wickets and finishing with 4-39 from 7.3 overs.

Spinner Ashton Agar (2-47) and Andrew Tye (2-57) were other multiple wicket-takers.

Earlier, Philippe and and Marsh put on a 217-run partnership – a record second-wicket stand for WA in the one-day competition, surpassing the 188-run union of Justin Langer and Damien Martyn in 1997/98.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Philippe smacked three consecutive sixes from SA spinner Sam Kerber to reach his maiden one-day ton from just 96 balls.

And on the next ball of the innings, Marsh registered his century from 111 deliveries.

After the early loss of Shaun Marsh (one), the pair plundered SA’s bowlers in a partnership lasting almost 36 overs.

Philippe’s 116-ball knock featured 10 fours and seven sixes while Marsh struck 14 fours and three sixes from his 124 deliveries.

“It’s always nice to start the summer like that, it was an all-round performance,” Marsh said.

The pair were particularly severe on the Redbacks’ left-arm tweaker Kerber, whose nine wicketless overs cost 74 runs.

Redbacks paceman Kane Richardson took 2-61 while fellow quick Wes Agar (2-68) took wickets on consecutive balls in the 48th over – both caught on the boundary.