The Western Warriors have fought back to be in contention for outright points in their vital final round Sheffield Shield clash against New South Wales at Manuka Oval.
NSW had collected first innings points on day one after bowling out WA for 82, but the Warriors hit back on the second day led by Ashton Agar who claimed 5-74.
Agar’s five-wicket haul, along with Jason Behrendorff’s two early breakthroughs, helped dismiss the Blues in the first session adding only 61 runs to their overnight score, before WA built a 34-run lead by stumps to revive hope of a Shield Final at the WACA Ground.
Shaun Marsh (9no) and Sam Whiteman (20no) will be at the crease on Thursday morning, hoping to stretch the visitors’ lead, with WA 5-138.
However, WA may have been better placed had they not lost 4-8 midway through the final session having been in a good position at 1-101.
Nonetheless, the Warriors had the better of a day where they showed fight with NSW resuming 45 runs ahead at 4-127.
Behrendorff (2-37) struck twice in the first hour, dismissing dangerous duo Peter Nevill (8) and Sean Abbott (4) to have the Blues 6-144.
Kurtis Patterson and Steve O’Keefe combined for a threatening stand before Marcus North struck upon his introduction into the attack, having the latter caught well by Michael Hogan at mid on.
Cameron Bancroft clutched a sharp chance at short leg off Agar in the next over to dismiss Patterson for 44, making it 8-171.
From there, Agar wrapped up the tail to complete his first five-wicket haul of the Shield season and minimise the damage, with WA only 104 runs behind.
WA survived five overs before lunch, with North and Bancroft working hard after the interval to give the Warriors a platform to build on, having managed no more than 20 in their past six opening stands together.
Bancroft eventually fell for 17 after more than 100 minutes at the crease, caught in the slips by Steve Smith off O’Keefe.
North showed intent, smashing O’Keefe for six, and alongside Marcus Harris, WA began to reduce the deficit at a faster rate.
However, on the cusp of overcoming the deficit, WA lost four quick wickets in a poor hour of cricket.
Harris (36), Adam Voges (0) and North (44) all fell within 16 balls, with Doug Bollinger claiming the experienced duo after Abbott got the breakthrough wicket.
Almost half an hour later, WA lost Ashton Turner to Abbott for 3, seeing the Warriors slip to 5-109, having been 1-101.
Whiteman endured an unconvincing start to his innings, surviving appeals for LBW and caught behind. Marsh also toiled hard, having made three ducks in a row, to be 9no off 55 balls at stumps.
WA 82 & 5-138 (North 44, Harris 36; Abbott 2-14, Bollinger 2-28) v NSW 186 (Smith 48, Patterson 44; Agar 5-74, Behrendorff 2-37), Manuka Oval
James Buttler
As the editor of World Cricket Badger he is intent on building the website to give quality coverage of the domestic game around the world.
He is also the presenter of the Cricket Badger Radio Show on Radio Yorkshire every Tuesday evening between 7-9pm UK time.
James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
James is a published author, a writer/video contributor to many cricket publications and a complete cricket badger!
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