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They still have some work to do but Western Australia are daring to dream after building a handy 171-run lead over Victoria after Day 3 of the Sheffield Shield final in Perth.
Western Australia fought their way to 3-91 at stumps in the face of some persistently accurate Victorian bowling, led by the indefatigable Scott Boland.
Opener Sam Whiteman played a crucial 128-ball knock to be 45 not out at stumps, with teenage all-rounder Teague Wyllie also at the crease on 15.
Boland (2-14 off ten overs) had WA wobbling by sending Cameron Bancroft – scorer of two centuries in the past three matches – back to the pavilion for a duck after just three balls of the WA second innings.
Spinner Matt Short dismissed Shaun Marsh for 13, before Boland returned to knock over Hilton Cartwright (12).
(Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)
Earlier, WA achieved success by edging Victoria on first-innings bonus points, meaning a draw in the five-day contest will be enough to claim the Shield.
The complicated system, which rewards runs and wickets secured in the first 100 overs of each team’s first innings, became something of a game within a game.
Victoria ultimately fell 24 runs shy of a target that became more challenging as each wicket fell.
The bonus points may yet become a factor with some rain predicted for Perth on Sunday.
“We thought we were in a position to get the bonus points,” Victoria captain Peter Handscomb said.
“But if we bowl well tomorrow, hopefully those bonus points don’t come into play.”
Victoria resumed Day 3 at 3-147, well behind the required run rate to edge WA on bonus points.
Nightwatchman Mitch Perry chose the perfect time to play the innings of his life with an impressive 74, exactly double the previous best of the 21-year-old’s 16-match career.
In concert with Handscomb, Perry helped add 111 for the fourth wicket only for the former to crucially fall in the final over before lunch.
Nic Maddinson set about building the run rate with his knock of 20 from 12 balls consisting entirely of boundaries.
But Joel Paris produced a superb delivery to dismiss Maddinson and kick-start the Vics’ collapse.
Paris picked up 3-95, while Aaron Hardie impressed with three top-order scalps in his 3-54.
“I think with this wicket you still need to apply as much pressure as you can, and I think there is still enough in the wicket that you can extract something,” said Paris.
“The first hour tomorrow is going to be key for us.”
© AAP
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