Fighting centuries from Jack Wildermuth and Jack Clayton have given the Queensland Bulls a chance to secure a remarkable win in their Sheffield Shield final against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval.
SA will start its second innings on the first ball of day four needing 270 to win the final and its first Shield title in 29 years after the Bulls were bowled out in the dying stages of day three for 445.
It was a remarkable comeback from the Queenslanders, who were bowled out for just 95 in their first innings.
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MATCH CENTRE: South Australia vs Queensland scorecard
SA replied with 271 to lead by 176 runs and seemingly be in the box seat to win the decider.
However, the Bulls have staged an extraordinary turnaround with the bat in their second innings.
Starting Friday’s play at 3-177 with a lead of just one run, the visitors weren’t about to go down without a fight
Leading the way on day three were all-rounder Wildermuth (111 off 140 balls) and middle-order batsman Clayton (100 off 249 balls).
The pair shared in a crucial 103-run seventh-wicket partnership before Clayton’s innings came to an end when he was trapped leg before wicket by spinner Ben Manenti.
It left the Bulls at 7-324, with SA still in a dominant position.
But the Queenslanders weren’t done, with Wildermuth then sharing an eighth-wicket partnership of 112 with Mark Steketee (51 off 110 balls).
Wildermuth’s brilliant ton ended when he was bowled by Nathan McAndrew in the 133rd over to leave the Bulls at 8-436.
Steketee followed two runs later when he was caught on the fine-leg boundary by McAndrew off the bowling of former Queensland paceman Brendan Doggett, who finished with the figures of 5-109 to secure 11-140 for the match after destroying the Bulls with 6-31 on day one.
Tailender Mitch Swepson was the final Bulls wicket to fall when he was bowled by McAndrew (3-106) in the 137th over.
However, Swepson could yet play a key role with his leg-spinners on Saturday when the Bulls attempt to defy the odds and stop SA adding the Shield crown to its domestic One-Day Cup success earlier this season.
Pacemen Michael Neser, Callum Vidler and Steketee will have also have important roles to play with the new ball on Saturday.
SA will need to make history to win the match, with Victoria’s 2-239 to beat NSW in the 1991 final being the record for a successful fourth-innings run chase in a Shield decider.
