Sheffield Shield 2024/25, SOA vs WA Match Report 13, 23-26 November 2024

Western Australia 373 (Goodwin 139, Turner 79, Doggett 5-97) and 243 for December 3 (Bancroft 105*, Goodwin 69) tied with South Australia 253 (Hunt 106, Manenti 73*, Paris 5-34) and 208 for 6 (Lehmann 53, Critchell 3-33)

Bancroft scored an unbeaten 105 off 255 balls as WA set South Australia a victory target of 364 in 90 overs. They stood precariously at 170 for 5 after 60.1 overs, with debutant Keaton Critchell taking three wickets, when a rain break ended 17 overs.

The loss of Harry Nielsen in the first over after the rain break meant WA needed just four more wickets with 12.2 overs remaining. But Scott (33 not out off 106 balls) and Ben Manenti survived before the game was deemed a draw with three balls remaining.

There was unexpected drama late in the match when Hilton Cartwright was forced to leave the field after being accidentally hit in the head by the ball. Cartwright wasn’t looking when Bancroft threw the ball at him from five yards away, but fortunately the impact was minor.

Bancroft began the season as a genuine chance to win the vacant opener’s spot in the Test team after two mammoth years with the bat. But his form has unraveled so quickly in the last two months that critics even began to question whether he deserved to keep his place in the WA side.

Bancroft opened the Shield campaign with scores of 0, 0, 8 and 2. In his two matches for Australia A, which effectively served as bat-off for the vacant first-order spot in the Test team, Bancroft scored 0, 16, 3 and 0.

Nathan McSweeney ended up earning the Test call-up, and Bancroft made 12 and 11 in his next Shield match against Victoria, before opening the current Shield clash with a duck off the first ball, despite not appearing to have got over the ball.

A poor run of luck continued for Bancroft, with several of his dismissals this season appearing to be refereeing errors. But his luck finally changed.

Bancroft reached stumps on Monday unbeaten on 71, with one lead falling short and another flying too high for the fielder on Tuesday en route to reaching his 30th first-class century.

The 32-year-old raised his bat and helmet skywards as he reached triple figures, and the knock was an important step in his bid to get back into the conversation for a Test call-up.

Young WA player Jayden Goodwin was named player of the match for his scores of 139 and 69.