stumps Western Australia 167 and 34 for 1 (Fanning 13*, Goodwin 10*, O’Neill 1-12) Victory 373 (Rogers 76, Crone 62*, Handscomb 56, Paris 3-44, Gannon 3-59, Rocchiccioli 3-115) by 172 runs
Lower-order resistance helped Victoria claim a 206-run first innings lead in their Sheffield Shield clash with three-time reigning champions Western Australia.
After losing 167, WA looked to be holding off Victoria at the Junction Oval as the hosts were 207 for 6 on Saturday. But No. 9 Xavier Crone scored an unbeaten 62 off 65 balls, smashing three sixes to help Victoria reach 373.
Lower order batsmen Fergus O’Neill (44) and Sam Elliott (26) also contributed as the WA players worked hard in hot conditions for most of the day.
WA had to bat for the final hour before stumps on Saturday, reaching 33 for 1 with Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin at the crease. Opener Cameron Bancroft, who has suffered an unfortunate drop in form after dominating the Shield for the past two seasons, struggled again. After recently being passed over for a call-up to the Test team for the first time since the 2019 Ashes, Bancroft fell to O’Neill for 11. In Friday’s first innings, Bancroft could only manage 12, and also lost his wicket to O.-Neill.
Victoria have prepared well to become the first team to beat WA in the Shield this season. WA are aiming for a fourth consecutive title and remained unbeaten after three matches before heading to Melbourne.
