Even the morning after South Australia’s victory, some of those who took part were still making sense of it
Tristan Lavalette10-Feb-2025Enjoying unexpected time off, South Australia quicks Nathan McAndrew and Brendan Doggett found themselves still in disbelief as they recounted over breakfast what had transpired during a whirlwind previous two days at the WACA.Not long after Australia wrapped up the second Test against Sri Lanka, South Australia celebrated a six-wicket victory over Western Australia before tea on day two in the shortest outright result in Sheffield Shield history after just 763 balls were bowled. The previous record was 822 balls between Queensland and Tasmania in Brisbane in 2001-02.The match aggregate of 376 runs was the third-lowest ever in the competition’s history. WA were routed for just 66 in their second innings with McAndrew finishing with a remarkable career-best 7 for 11 from 9.3 overs. It was three-time defending champions WA’s lowest Shield total at the WACA since 1950.Related
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“Brendan Doggett and I were just talking about how wild it [the match] was,” McAndrew told ESPNcricinfo on what should have been day three of the match. “The game was in fast forward so much that even when we were taking wickets, it sort of felt like that’s what we had to do.”The historic clump of wickets was not necessarily foreshadowed the day before the match despite plenty of grass being left on the pitch amid usual sweltering Perth summer weather.”We had a training session [the day before the match], and it was hot as anything, so we thought that it’s going to be a really good cricket wicket,” McAndrew said. “We were pretty unsure about what to do if we won the toss at that point, just based off the colour of the wicket. We thought we might not be all that disappointed if we lost the toss and got sent in.”But with the fierce sun baking the pitch further, South Australia stand-in captain Ben Manenti had no hesitation to bowl first when the coin fell in his favour. “There was some thatchy grass that we’re not used to seeing at the WACA, where previously we’ve played on thinner grass,” said McAndrew, the Shield’s leading wicket-taker this season with 28 at 18.42.
It was actually pretty hard to bowl on and to get the ball full enough to make the batters play without them just being able to leave on length because it was so bouncy. It was hard to get nicks, it was nipping too farNathan McAndrew
“Our only goal was to bowl them out on day one, but the wicket did a lot more than what I thought it was going to do.”Batting was difficult with tennis ball bounce notable, but the match started fairly tamely and, not for the first time on the ground, it appeared an anti-climax was set to ensue. A youthful WA batting-order battled hard and did well to reach lunch at 72 for 2 with opener Sam Fanning closing in on a half-century.”We really struggled as a bowling group to bring the stumps into play,” McAndrew said. “It was actually pretty hard to bowl on and to get the ball full enough to make the batters play without them just being able to leave on length because it was so bouncy. It was hard to get nicks, it was nipping too far.”But coach Ryan Harris gave them a pep talk at the break and they readjusted their line and lengths on resumption to devastating effect as the pitch continued to deteriorate with conditions near 40 degrees Celsius.McAndrew nicked off Fanning for 49 – the highest score of the match – with a back of a length delivery that zipped off the pitch. “The ball started bouncing and skidding through more traditionally, so we could bowl normal lengths,” he said.The WACA scoreboard reflects a extraordinary match•Getty ImagesWA collapsed for 120, but South Australia fared little better in reply and were bowled out for 124 by stumps on day one. McAndrew, at No. 9 but a capable batter with a first-class average of 26.61, started fluently before hitting quick Brody Couch straight to third man to fall for 4 off 6 balls.”Probably a bit rich to say because I only faced six balls…I felt pretty comfortable but played a horrendous shot to get out,” McAndrew said. “Without being too critical, I think there was some really poor shots by some batters in this match but that was probably due to them being indecisive.”South Australia were frustrated by day’s end and thought they had let their advantage slip with the match now effectively a one-innings shoot-out.”Just forget about that batting effort and let’s turn up on day two, fight like hell and try and bowl as well as we possibly can to wrestle back the advantage,” Harris implored his team.South Australia’s meagre lead of four runs suddenly looked like gold when McAndrew immediately hit a dangerous area and had Fanning caught in the slips for a duck in the first over. Soon WA were reeling at 2 for 3 and still trailing by two runs.Unleashing one of the great spells at the iconic ground, McAndrew was in the zone and looking like taking a wicket on every delivery. He continually claimed edges and rattled the stumps, but his best wicket was when he took a superb one-handed return catch to his right to dismiss veteran Hilton Cartwright.McAndrew finished with figures that seemed beyond belief, but there wasn’t any time to take it all in given the surreal events unfolding.’To win in a day-and-a half at the WACA, it’s special’•Getty Images”My mind was just constantly on what was next, who was the next batter and let’s get him out as soon as possible,” he said. “It was a tough wicket and you didn’t want them to get any more. It was very much just a foot on the throat type mentality.”South Australia only needed 63 runs for victory, but perhaps no team has ever have felt so nervous about chasing such a low target. “I was pretty anxious, just counting those runs down…every single one,” McAndrew said.There were some anxious moments, but Jason Sangha proved that the bowlers could be thwarted on this wicket with a solid method and application. He finished 24 not out on the back of his first innings of 45 to guide South Australia to their first Shield victory at the WACA since November 2017.Relieved players celebrated with gusto during the late afternoon inside the ground’s famed walls as South Australia sit pretty on top of the ladder. They are in the box seat for a home final as they strive to end a Shield title drought that extends three decades.”To win in a day-and-a half at the WACA, it’s special,” McAndrew said. “We haven’t won here in a long time. To get a monkey off our backs is really nice and sets us up for the rest of the season.”South Australia are also well positioned in the One-Day Cup and play last-placed WA on Thursday at the WACA in a low-key fixture that is set to now garner significantly more attraction.”I dare say, you’d expect that wicket to be a little bit flatter, but you never know,” chuckled McAndrew. “If we turn up and the ball’s nipping around and bouncing all over the shop again, I wouldn’t be against it.”