3 minute read

After a winless season that ensures they will again finish last in the Sheffield Shield, South Australia are looking to end on a high against Victoria.

Ever-reliable Travis Head moved to the top of the Sheffield Shield run-scoring table but South Australia largely failed to capitalise on a bunch of good starts in their clash with Victoria.

At stumps on day one, the visitors were 7-278 at CitiPower Centre in St Kilda with Sam Kerber (25) and Chadd Sayers (3) the not out batsmen.

National team regular Head (76) was the mainstay and, for now at least, overtook WA's Cameron Green as the competition's leading batsman in 2020/21 with 877 runs at an average of 73.

But the Redbacks - who will finish last in the competition for the fourth consecutive time - failed to build on Head's innings and a number of other modest scores.

Seven South Australians passed 25, but the next highest score after Head was Jake Weatherald's 46.

Test wicketkeeper-in-waiting Alex Carey struck 35.

Jon Holland was the pick of the Victorian bowlers with 3-74 while Scott Boland, Mitchell Perry, Will Sutherland and Todd Murphy each took a wicket.

Debutant spinner Murphy (1-63) made a breakthrough in his first Shield over, claiming the wicket of SA opener Henry Hunt (36), but failed to add to that tally in the next 23.

In a match that has no bearing on the make-up of the final - with Queensland, NSW and Western Australia battling it out for the two spots, SA can only hope to score what would be a lone win for the season.

The Bushrangers are seeking to go out on a high after slipping from final contention with a last-up loss against WA.