Queensland batted its way to every possible bonus point in their bid for a stunning berth in the Sheffield Shield final, all but ending Victoria’s chances to meet South Australia despite moving in to a winning position against WA, who could yet reach a fourth-straight decider.
Jimmy Pierson and Jack Wildermuth both blasted centuries for the Bulls in a crucial 151-run stand on the third day of their clash with SA in Adelaide after their chance to earn a repeat clash in next week’s decider looked to have been blown away by the home team’s monster first innings of 7-614 (dec).
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It delivered Queensland, second on the Shield table going in to the final round of games, just 0.4 in bowling bonus points and with the six points for a win needed to lock in a spot in the final all but gone, the visitors went on their own bat-a-thon to stay alive.
Every run scored above 200 inside the opening 100 overs of their first innings was worth 0.01 of a point, and the quick-scoring Bulls batters, which included an 84-ball hundred from Wildermuth, his first Shield century in eight years, pushed them to 7-356 when the ton ticked over, giving Queensland another 1.56 points to their total.
The Bulls, who compiled 370 as Pierson made 128, still need the game to finish in a draw on Tuesday and net the extra point needed to reach 39.76 points and kill off Victoria’s hopes.
After refusing to enforce the follow-on, SA batted on, pushing its lead past 300, needing to declare, then take 10 final day wickets to snuff out the Bulls’ finals hopes.
“We knew what the bonus points structure looked like after the games around Australia, we knew with the Victoria-WA game for us to stay in front if Victoria won the game we needed those bonus points from that batting innings,” Pierson said.
“We knew how the day was set up, to look to me to bat through and the we knew we had power with Nes (Neser) and Jack Wildermuth behind us to come in and it just dovetailed nicely.
“I’ve never played in a season where three wins could potentially get you into a Shield final, it’s crazy to think that.
“Today we needed to get those bonus points which we did, and we’ll see how things pan out with the draw tomorrow.”
NSW started the final round third on the table, on 35.39 points, scored a full point for their bowling innings, but none batting and with last year’s runners-up Tasmania batting the Blues out of the game in Hobart, after another Jake Weatherland century.
The opener made 145 and Tassie and set NSW 529 to win, the Blues reaching 0-71 at stumps, needing 458 on the final day to win. Even a point for a draw would leave NSW short.
Both Victoria and WA failed to net a batting bonus point in their clash at the WACA, failing to make 200 in their opening innings, but it left the game well placed for a result.
Staring the match on 32.49 points, even earning six points for a victory, plus the full bowling bonus point each team earned, would still leave the Vics .25 points short of jumping Queensland and into the final.
But WA, who began the final round in fourth spot on 34.43 points, would surge in to the decider with a win and keep alive their hopes of a staggering fourth-straight Shield title.
The Victorian batters defied their poor first innings performance, with opener Campbell Kellaway making an unbeaten 151 as the visitors pushed ahead by close to 350 at 8-335, leaving WA with a massive final day task.
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