Sheffield Shield 2025/26, VIC vs SOA Final Match Report, 26 – 30 March 2026

Victory 261 and 102 for 5 (Harris 35, McAndrew 2-33) need 94 to win against South Australia 198 and 258 (Carey 103, McAndrew 60, Boland 3-78)

Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb halted the chase with a 67-run stand to put Victory on track. But both fell in the shadows of stumps, with two night watchmen sent in to see Victoria close, still needing 94.

Carey produced an innings of the highest quality to give SA hope. He survived a difficult final hour on the third night after entering on 35 for 3, but batting did not get any easier in the early part of day four.

He could only watch helplessly at the non-striker’s end as Boland threatened to wrest the Shield from South Australia in one vintage burst, leaving the visitors 122 for 7, leading by just 59. He trapped Liam Scott lbw with a superb delivery that pinched in sharply from the seam. His next ball was unplayable and Ben Manenti was unlucky after tucking in from a similar length to scratch the outside edge.

Carey had to face the hat trick as there was a change of strike in between. But he calmly nudged it towards the leg side for a single. It was indicative of his innings.

I found an ally in McAndrew. The ball softened and Victoria’s seamers found it difficult to get through McAndrew’s stout defense as Carey gifted singles to a deep pitch. Carey rode from 40 to the 80s without taking a risk. Victoria’s decision to get Carey off the strike and focus on McAndrew didn’t pay off as he settled into a rut. He hit eight fours and a six in his 60, two more boundaries than Carey scored in his century. The six McAndrew hit was a brilliant uppercut from Sutherland as he nailed several other cuts.

He had one greatest piece of luck. On 43 he tried to force Boland off the back foot through the off side, the thick edge flew at head height between Sutherland and Peter Handscomb at first and second slip. Both moved to catch it and both let it go to the fence untouched.

The Victorian players’ shoulders slumped as McAndrew reached his first first-class half-century in 30 innings and his first in the Shield since 2023.

SA reached lunch on 204 for 7 with the lead swelling to a defendable total. Sutherland found something after the break to end the stand. He got one to stay low behind of good length and fire through the previously impenetrable defense of McAndrew.

That opened the door for Murphy to return, having been kept out of the attack for most of the morning. Carey was lucky to survive and inside that looped off the road with Harper slow to see it land in reach.

But he got the reward when Henry Thornton tried an ambitious back-foot strike at the corner and Harper held the thin edge. That left Carey on 92 with only Jordan Buckingham for company. Carey farmed the strike and walked towards his century. He dismissed one single on 99 and got to his century, while trying to steal two but was held to a single. That gave Buckingham the license to swing hard after he defended stoutly for 17 deliveries and he picked up two boundaries off Murphy. Ironically, he was the one not let out when Carey gloved an ambitious scoop to slip Fergus O’Neill off the second new ball.

Victoria’s pursuit of 196 got off to a disastrous start. Harper was bowled by a cracker from Buckingham before McAndrew struck twice. Dylan Brasher was caught and bowled off a leading edge, unable to control an extra bounce from McAndrew as he tried to work down the leg side. Campbell Kellaway was then pinned lbw after shuffling from around the wicket too far across to McAndrew.

Harris and Handscomb fell silent and seemed to see Victoria’s stumps with the chase well under control. But Handscomb drove behind and tried to cut Thornton through point before Harris went to second slip and tried to drive Scott in the next over. The two late defeats made for an exciting final day.