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Sheffield Shield leaders South Australia have shattered Queensland’s hopes of making the final, driving home their advantage at Karen Rolton Oval.
After centuries to Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey and Jake Lehmann, the home side declared on Sunday at an imposing 7-614.
Opening bowler Nathan McAndrew then tore through the Queensland top order to leave the visitors in tatters at 3-13.
Henry Thornton claimed the key wicket of Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne to compound the Bulls’ problems and at stumps on day two they were in deep trouble at 5-110.
Queensland started the last round in second place, but NSW, WA and Victoria have the same number of wins and less than five points separate the four teams on the ladder.
So barring a miracle over the next two days, Queensland are out of title contention. SA resumed on Sunday at a healthy 4-359, with Carey and Lehmann at the crease.
Carey posted his third Shield ton of the summer and Lehmann scored his second in as many games to pile the pain onto Queensland.
When Carey was dismissed for 104 from 100 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes, he and Lehmann had put on 175 for the fifth wicket.
Lehmann finished on 130no off 182 deliveries, with 14 fours, after combining with Ben Manenti (49) and McAndrew (41) to further bolster SA’s imposing first innings total.
Already in dire straits, Queensland had the worst possible start to their innings when McAndrew trapped openers Lachie Hearne and Matt Renshaw lbw in his first over.
Alex Carey. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
He also removed Jake Clayton to end the day with 3-36.
With Labuschagne at the crease, Queensland still had faint hope of a counterattack.
But Thornton (2-32) had him caught by Manenti at second slip for 23, before removing Ben McDermott (35) through a skied pull gloved by Carey.
Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser are the not-out batsmen, with the visitors still more than 500 runs behind.
SA are well clear at the top of the Shield ladder and will host the final from March 24-28 at Karen Rolton Oval, after the AFL rejected a push for the match to be played at nearby Adelaide Oval.
Jordan Silk has struck a superb ton before Test all-rounder Beau Webster starred with the ball to put Tasmania well on top in their pink-ball Sheffield Shield clash with NSW at Bellerive Oval.
Silk (112 off 208), Tim Ward (64 off 158), Caleb Jewell (45) and Jake Doran (39) all chipped in to lift Tasmania to 331.
Third-placed NSW entered the match knowing they needed to win to have any hope of reaching the final, which will be hosted by South Australia.
Sam Konstas. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The Blues faltered to be all out for 186 late on day two after opener Sam Konstas fell for five and the rest of the batting unit faltered.
Kurtis Patterson (33), Josh Philipe (25) and Sean Abbott (30) made starts before tailender Ben Dwarshuis top-scored with a fighting 40 not out after smashing six fours and two sixes.
Webster finished with 5-44 after Gabe Bell (2-19) and Riley Meredith (3-43) tore through the top order.
Tasmania, who sit in last spot on the table and are no hope of reaching the final, were 1-81 at stumps, a lead of 226.
It’s all on the line for NSW, who must beat Tasmania and then rely on second-placed Queensland failing to get a win against ladder leaders South Australia.
Victoria have their noses in front of WA halfway through a match that should decide who faces South Australia in the Sheffield Shield final.
Outstanding bowling from captain Will Sutherland, veteran Peter Siddle and fellow paceman David Moody gave the visitors a narrow lead on Sunday at the WACA.
Given the state of the other two current Shield games, and with no rain forecast in Perth for the next two days, whoever wins this match will most likely head to Adelaide for the final.
Second-placed Queensland are in dire straits against SA and third-placed NSW are also behind on the first innings against Tasmania.
Fourth-placed WA and Victoria, who started the final round in fifth, are behind Queensland only on points.
WA resumed on day two at 1-10 and their top order struggled as they chased Victoria’s very gettable first innings of 197.
They slumped to 8-111 before Test debutant Cooper Connolly, batting at No.7, led a lower-order counterpunch that nearly gave them the lead.
But he was the last wicket to fall for a top score of 56 as the home side was dismissed for 186.
Victoria’s Marcus Harris. (Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
That set up an absorbing 18 overs at the end of the day, with WA desperate for quick wickets to wrest back the momentum.
Victorian openers Campbell Kellaway (20) and Marcus Harris (11) survived to stumps as the visitors ended on 0-32, a lead of 43.
WA paceman Joel Paris may well find himself on a dissent charge after he went very close to trapping Kellaway lbw with the first ball of the innings. The left armer glared at the umpire when his appeal was turned down.
Victorian wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb took seven catches as Sutherland, Siddle and Moody repeatedly asked searching questions of the WA batsmen.
Making his Victorian debut and playing against his old state, Moody claimed 4-41.
Sutherland took 3-32 as well as a great catch in slips, while Siddle’s 13.2 overs yielded 3-10 and eight maidens.
Connolly combined with No.10 Cameron Gannon for a 53-run stand that gave the home side hope of a first-innings lead, but Moody had Gannon caught behind for 26.
After hitting eight fours and a six in his 104-ball knock, Connolly was unimpressed when given out caught behind off Siddle, with the ball cutting back and the umpire ruling there was an inside edge. Jayden Goodwin made 36 as the only other WA batter to reach 20.
with AAP
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