Despite the opportunity to claim the top spot in the Sheffield Shield final race, Western Australia and New South Wales played cautiously, resulting in a draw at the WACA. This outcome leaves their final hopes uncertain, depending on other match results.
With only one round remaining, both teams face a gamble. To qualify for the final against South Australia in Adelaide, they now rely on favorable results from other games. Queensland has overtaken them, moving into second place with 36.8 points, ahead of NSW (35.39) and WA (34.43). Victoria remains a possible contender with 32.49 points.
Concerns arose when Western Australia, known for their cautious approach, batted conservatively on the final day’s first session to set a target slowly. Hilton Cartwright achieved a first-class career-best score of 171 not out, and Sam Fanning accelerated the scoring before and after lunch. WA declared, setting NSW a target of 281 runs in 57 overs.
NSW decided the chase was too risky on a challenging pitch where batsmen struggled against the new ball.
‘We aimed for a target between 250 and 300,’ Cartwright explained. ‘We knew batting would become easier as the ball softened. We wanted to avoid giving them too many overs to chase a small score. If we had given them 70 overs to chase 250, it might have been too easy.’
‘We tried to find the right balance – giving ourselves enough time to bowl them out while tempting them to chase. We anticipated they might attempt the total more aggressively, as a win would significantly improve their chances of reaching the final.’
After NSW opener Nic Maddison was dismissed in the first over, Sam Konstas and Kurtis Patterson focused on defense, forming a 50-run partnership in 23 overs. Despite some tense moments, NSW was never in serious trouble, finishing at 130 for 4, with half-centuries from Konstas and Matthew Gilkes.
‘Perhaps we expected a declaration slightly earlier,’ NSW captain Jack Edwards commented. ‘They batted us out of the game and earned the right to control it. After losing Maddison, we decided to play defensively. Konstas performed well, demonstrating his natural talent when focused.’
The fate of both teams is now beyond their control, making their upcoming games must-win situations. NSW will travel to Bellerive Oval, where they are favored against Tasmania, whose season is already over.
NSW may have Sean Abbott, a seam bowling all-rounder, and leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha available again, as they have returned from the Champions Trophy.
‘I hope so; having players like them return greatly increases our chances of winning,’ Edwards stated. ‘We aim to win the next game, perform our best, and see what happens.’
WA will face Victoria at the WACA, with their hopes of achieving a historic fourth consecutive title at stake. They are likely to be without fast bowler Lance Morris, who has played consecutive Shield matches.
Recovering from a stress fracture last winter and a quad strain in the pre-season, Morris has a workload limit of around 30 overs per game. He achieved a first-class best of 5 for 26 in NSW’s first innings. There was speculation about how many overs he would bowl on the final day.
Morris bowled 12 overs, including a few at the end with aggressive yorkers in a last-ditch effort. However, he couldn’t regain his earlier control and accuracy, finishing with 0 for 41.
Quick bowler Brody Couch, a like-for-like replacement, has had a strong Shield season since joining from Victoria, taking 21 wickets at 22.85. All-rounder Cooper Connolly will be available after returning from the Champions Trophy, but Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie are expected to miss the game due to IPL preparations.
‘[Connolly] visited during the game and said hello; it’s always good to have him around. He will strengthen our batting,’ Cartwright mentioned. ‘We need to focus entirely on our own team. If things go our way, that would be great. But we must handle our own business first before considering other games.’
