Reigning champions Western Australia have revived their quest for Sheffield Shield history, trouncing Queensland by an innings and 12 runs to rise from last to third on the ladder.
WA paceman Lance Morris took three wickets as Queensland were bowled out for 153 in their second innings on day three at The Gabba on Thursday.
WA, seeking to become the first state to win four consecutive shields since Tasmania entered the competition in 1977/78, started the fixture at the foot of the ladder.
But WA (32.63 points) climbed to third, while NSW (32.87) snatched second spot after defeating Victoria, and Queensland (28.45) slid from third to fifth.
The outcome of the match between ladder-leaders South Australia (36.93) and Tasmania, now in last spot on 26.01, is to be decided.
WA’s victory came only 11 days after being humiliated on home turf by SA when they posted scores of 120 and 66 in a six-wicket loss.
“We had a good little reflection … but you can only talk so much,” captain Sam Whiteman said.
“To put some actions into place and perform really well with both the ball and the bat is pleasing – it’s a tough spot to win at, The Gabba.
“It gives us the best chance heading back home for the two final games.”
After this round, all states have two games remaining before the final.
WA host NSW from March 6 and Victoria from March 15 at the WACA while Queensland will be on the road for their remaining fixtures, against Tasmania and South Australia on the same dates.
WA’s triumph was set up by bowling out the Bulls for 147 in their first innings when offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli took a career-best 7-52.
The visitors, with Sam Fanning (95) falling just shy of his maiden first-class century, replied with 312.
Queensland’s batsmen again struggled in their second innings with Ben McDermott and Lachlan Hearne top-scoring – both made 33.
WA’s Morris was on hat-trick but the right-arm quick sent a delivery to Mitch Swepson wildly down the legside to miss the milestone.
Morris collected 3-35, also removing McDermott with a brute of a short ball which reared at the batsman, who edged to wicketkeeper Joel Curtis.
Rocchiccioli added 2-27 to finish with his best first-class match figures of 9-79.
“Awesome reward for him to get his first 5-for,” Whiteman said.
“He has taken over 100 shield wickets without a five-for, so to finish with nine for the match is amazing.
“He’s such a weapon for us on day one when it’s spinning.”
At the SCG, Jackson Bird became only the fifth man to take 400 Sheffield Shield wickets before bowling NSW to a crucial 76-run win over Victoria.
On a chaotic third day in Sydney, Victoria claimed 6-40 in the opening 90 minutes to have NSW all out for 174 and set up a fourth-innings chase of 231.
Scott Boland was the star, taking 6-46 to make it 10 wickets for the match as he continued to press his claims for a full-time spot in Australia’s Test team.
But any hopes Victoria had of Boland’s spell being enough to set up the victory on Thursday were quickly crushed by Bird and his 5-68.
Victoria slumped to 5-31 inside 13 overs in the chase, with Bird taking four of the first five wickets on his record-breaking day.
The NSW veteran had his milestone wicket in the fifth over, when he had Marcus Harris edging behind on six.
He removed Tom Rogers at slip a few balls later before also dismissing Peter Handscomb and Harry Dixon to rip the heart out of Victoria.
Bird also had Fergus O’Neill caught in the deep late to claim his five-wicket haul, as the Blues closed in on victory.
“It probably means I’ve been around for a long time, but it’s nice to tick off the milestones along the way”
“But the goal of mine now is to win a Sheffield Shield.
“I’ve never won one, so that’s more important to me at the moment and it’s what’s driving me to keep playing at my age.”
Bird’s wickets made him the first bowler to debut in the 21st century and take 400 Shield wickets.
Remarkably, his average of 21.92 also remains the best of anyone with 250-plus scalps.
Some seven years after his last Test for Australia, the 38-year-old’s success came on his return from a hamstring injury.
The seamer remains the second highest wicket-taker in the Shield this summer with 30 at 13.96, headlined by a return of 7-56 against South Australia in November.
But even with that success, he concedes this could be his last summer.
“I’m just taking it game by game at the moment. So, yeah, I didn’t have much left in the tank after this afternoon,” Bird said.
“I’ve had a couple of niggles this year. So I’ll probably reassess at the end of the year.
“(The wickets) cloud your judgment a little bit. You probably think you’re probably going better than what you actually are and you think you’re feeling good.
“I don’t want to hang on too long … It’ll be whether I can mentally do another pre-season.
“And if I do play next year, it’ll probably look different in terms of my availability.”
Liam Hatcher also bagged 3-29 for the Blues and Jack Edwards 3-28, with the latter in particular striking at crucial times.
The Blues’ victory moves them to second with two rounds to play, with only one victory still separating them from last spot.
Meanwhile, precocious talent Nivethan Radhakrishnan posted a half-century as Tasmania face a final-day fight for 217 more runs to defeat Sheffield Shield leaders South Australia.
Set 381 runs to win, the Tasmanians were 3-164 at stumps on Thursday’s third day of play at Adelaide Oval.
Radhakrishnan, an Indian-born 22-year-old who can bowl spinners with right and left arms, has underpinned the chase with an unbeaten 53.
The elegant opener will resume on the last day with Jake Doran, who is 19 not out.
Tasmania lost Jake Weatherald (10) early when the lefthander didn’t play a shot to a Nathan McAndrew delivery which cut back to clip off stump.
Radhakrishnan and Tim Ward (29) took the score to 70 but the latter fell just after tea.
Like Weatherald, the lefthanded Ward failed to offer a shot to McAndrew bowling around the wicket but was unlucky to be adjudged lbw, given the ball hit his thigh pad and appeared to be tracking over the stumps.
Radhakrishnan, who has represented Australia in under-16 and under-19 ranks, then featured in a 66-run partnership dominated by stalwart Jordan Silk.
Silk made 43 from 66 balls but was bowled by SA legspinner Lloyd Pope – he chopped on attempting a drive through the off-side an hour before stumps.
Earlier, SA were all out for 388 in their second innings.
After resuming at 6-272, McAndrew and Ben Manenti quickly prospered.
McAndrew (41) and Manenti (36) struck five boundaries each and featured in a 78-run partnership.
Allrounder Liam Scott returned to the crease after retiring hurt on 43 because of a migraine late on day two, pushing his score to 69 not out.
Tasmanian quick Riley Meredith was the pick of the bowlers with 3-81 with seamer Gabe Bell (2-68) the only other multiple wicket-taker.
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