Carey, McAndrew give SA renewed hope in Shield final
Roger Vaughan |
Alex Carey and Nathan McAndrew have staved off the threat of a Scott Boland rampage to provide a fresh twist in the Sheffield Shield final.
SA were 7-204 at lunch on day four in their second innings, leading Victoria by 141.
There is plenty of life in the Junction Oval wicket and the home side are set for a nervous run chase as they aim for their first Shield title since 2018-19.
SA must win to successfully defend their title and their hopes were growing on the back of the fighting Carey-McAndrew partnership.
In a absorbing final with several plot twists already, SA will fancy their chances of knocking over Victoria cheaply.
Carey was 69no after resuming on 24 and McAndrew had made 52no in their crucial 82-run stand.
Three overs before lunch, McAndrew was given a life when his edge off Boland somehow was not snared by either captain Will Sutherland at first slip or Peter Handscomb at second.
SA resumed on 5-94 and a Victorian triumph midway through Sunday afternoon looked likely when an eventful Boland over had him bowling for a hat-trick.
Four overs into play, Carey was lucky to survive when an inside edge off Boland went down fine leg for four.
The next ball was driven for a much more convincing boundary, before a single put Liam Scott on strike.
Scott was given out lbw, with the ball hitting his back leg and the batsman shaking his head in disapproval as he trudged off the ground.
The next ball, a brute of a delivery had Ben Manenti caught behind to end the over. Carey survived Boland’s hat-trick ball at the start of his next over.
Carey and McAndrew then dug in to first deny Victoria a quick kill and then start to swing the game back towards a more even contest.
AAP