Sheffield Shield Final 2023-24: Western Australia Dominated Tasmania to Secure Title Hat-Trick
In the ongoing Sheffield Shield final, Western Australia (WA) displayed resilience against Tasmania’s pace attack, positioning themselves for a potential third consecutive title.
The home team gradually built up during the day and can bat for as long as they like after taking a commanding lead in the first innings.
Tasmania’s 186 (Jewell 45, Rocchiccioli 4-48) is trailing Western Australia 347 and 221 for 3 (Cartwright 62*, Goodwin 46) by 382 runs.
Late in the third day of play, Tasmania’s pace attack launched a short-lived attack, but Western Australia withstood it and took the lead in the Sheffield Shield final.
On the second day, WA had a 382 run lead and reached stumps at 221 for 3. Despite the heavy hitting, Hilton Cartwright scored his second half-century of the game and joined Aaron Hardie in an uninterrupted partnership of 95 runs.
After taking the lead with bonus points from the first innings, they batted carefully and gave WA little chance. They can win the championship a third time in a row with a draw, and Western Australia’s strategy is to bat long.
Adam Voges, the coach of WA, stated, “I want to see a really big one [partnership] now.” “Hilton and Hards are in the 90s with this partnership and they both have the opportunity to go really big tomorrow.”
After yet another challenging day of competition, it doesn’t seem likely that Tasmania will win hands-down to break an 11-year skid. Tasmania captain Jordan Silk stated, “It’s obviously going to take something really special for us to do it.” “But there’s still some belief in that room.”
Tasmania was anxious for wickets after falling down by 161 runs in the first innings, but they were unable to take them in large quantities on a WACA surface that has not degraded. The surface has been holding up well throughout games, as has been the norm the entire season.
In the last session, Tasmania resorted to a short-ball strategy, which only managed to remove Jayden Goodwin for 46 runs. Riley Meredith and Iain Carlisle, who has been their most effective fast in the game, both delivered many blows to the batters’ bodies but frequently bowled too short.
After losing crucial wickets of Silk and Beau Webster prior to day two’s stumping, Tasmania sought to score an additional 100 runs and drastically narrow the lead on day three, when they resumed at 152 for 6.
On the second ball of the day’s play, though, their hopes were dashed when Jarrod Freeman was run out horribly for failing to react quickly enough to a tight single that fell just short of his ground.
After dismissing Gabe Bell with a brilliant leg-slip off Corey Rocchiccioli, Joel Paris added another outstanding catch for WA. The fielding differential between the two teams has been a significant factor in the game thus far.
With 4 for 48 from 28 overs, Rocchiccioli was the man who, fittingly, ended the innings by taking Carlisle’s wicket. He certainly attracts the attention of the national team. Rocchiccioli’s battle with the virus added to the admirability of this unwavering endeavor.
Tasmania needed wickets badly, and Bell delivered just in time to remove first innings centurion Sam Whiteman with an outstanding delivery on the final ball before lunch. However, Tasmania’s attempt to make more headway was thwarted by Goodwin and D’Arcy Short’s quicks, who were unable to extract the same kind of hazardous bounce and seam movement as their rivals.
In contrast to his erratic batting in the opening innings, Short played with sturdy defence and appealing strokes across the covers, looking fluid and in control. Before forcing Webster to slip, he was aiming for his second half-century of the game.
However, Short bolstered the confidence of the selectors, who were also thinking about moving Goodwin up the order or Teague Wyllie. Considering that Short had not opened at the first-class level since late 2019, it was an excellent effort.
After a bike accident last weekend, Cameron Bancroft, who is recuperating nicely from a concussion, had been replaced by Short. During the day’s action, he batted at the WACA nets.
Meredith, who was traveling at 140 kph, guided Tasmania back to a bumper approach, as if they were just going through the motions. He bowled around the wicket, short-pitched, at Cartwright and Goodwin, but to no avail.
Bending his back again, Carlise was rewarded with a perfectly placed bouncer on leg stump that caught Goodwin’s glove behind. But even though Webster demonstrated his ability by beginning with spin and then switching to seam, it has been difficult work for Tasmania.
Even though the late afternoon was slow at times, a sizable audience of 2467 people was more than happy to be in the terraces as WA got closer to winning.
