Western Australia’s bid for the domestic triple crown is alive and kicking after the Warriors shot to top spot on the Sheffield Shield table with an eight-wicket win over South Australia at the WACA ground in Perth.Chasing 122 for victory, the Warriors cruised to the victory target in 27 overs, with former Redback Michael Klinger finishing unbeaten on 51 off just 58 balls.
The win saw the Warriors leapfrog Victoria into top spot on the Sheffield Shield table with four rounds remaining.South Australia slumped to last following Queensland’s demolition of Victoria.
It has already been a golden year for Western Australian cricket, with the Warriors winning the one-day cup, before the Perth Scorchers secured the Big Bash League crown.The Warriors have not won a Shield title since 1998/99, but they are now in the box seat to break that 16-year drought this summer.They will lock horns with the Redbacks again next week in a Shield clash at Glenelg Oval, starting on Monday.
Klinger was named man-of-the-match after making a spectacular 190 in the Warriors’ first innings total of 9 for 467.The 34-year-old heaped more pain on his former team-mates in the second innings, with Klinger smashing Redbacks skipper Travis Head for 18 runs during one brutal over.
But it was not all good news for the Warriors, with left-arm paceman Ryan Duffield set to miss the rest of the summer after fracturing his left thumb.Duffield suffered the injury while batting in the first innings, but he bravely returned to bowl 14 overs in the Redbacks’ second dig.The loss of Duffield will be offset by the likely return of star all-rounder Nathan Coulter-Nile (hamstring).
The Redbacks were dismissed for 260 in their second innings despite the best efforts of Callum Ferguson (84) and Head (62).
Source:ABC News .