Bowlers continue to dominate in Perth, with the home side needing 222 on the last day to win
Stand-in NSW captain Nathan Lyon has provided stubborn late-order resistance that might prove crucial as the bowlers continued to dominate the Sheffield Shield match in Perth.
After 13 wickets fell on day three at the WACA Ground, openers Cameron Bancroft and Sam Whiteman survived four overs late on Monday.
That left the home side 0-9, needing 222 to win the Sheffield Shield opener.
NSW and Australian opener Sam Konstas was dismissed cheaply again as he tries to shore up his berth for the first Ashes Test, but he had plenty of top-order mates.
So far, the highest total at the fall of the third wicket in the match has been a paltry 23, while the previous day’s play featured 14 dismissals.
Konstas fell for 14 on Monday after making four in the first innings, while NSW No.3 Kurtis Patterson also did not advance his national cause with scores of eight and four.
Bancroft is another Test hopeful needing a major knock after being fired out for 10 in WA’s first innings.
Typical of how the match has gone, the first delivery of the morning from Blues paceman Ryan Hadley was a perfect yorker that bowled Matthew Kelly for 20.
That left NSW 8-116, with rearguard knocks from Ashton Agar (23), Cameron Gannon (12) and Corey Rocchiccioli (23) helping the final score to 161.
Hadley claimed 5-38, his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
WA suffered a blow when opening bowler Joel Paris only managed one over before departing with a left hamstring injury.
Test allrounder Cameron Green also did not bowl on Monday as he builds slowly following his return to bowling after back surgery.
But Kelly stood tall with 5-43. When he bowled Liam Hatcher for a duck, NSW were 9-189.
Lyon then dug in, with the Test off-spinner scoring 40 from 57 balls, featuring six fours and a six.
While the pitch appeared to be playing better late on day three, Lyon’s knock added some crucial meat to the bare-looking NSW lead.
Blues No.7 Will Salzmann again starred in his first-class debut.
The 21-year-old backed up his first-innings 43 by top-scoring with 72 on Monday.
There was also an extraordinary piece of umpiring at the WACA Ground on day three as NSW allrounder Chris Green was recalled after initially being given out on 20 caught behind by umpire Gerard Abood.
But following a protest from Green and a conversation with the square leg umpire and WA captain Whiteman, Abood invited the batter to resume his innings after realising the ball had glanced his helmet rather than his gloves.
Green faced a further 11 balls and added eight more runs before Kelly eventually claimed his wicket, caught at slip by Bancroft after his attempted pull shot deflected off the toe of his bat.
Sheffield Shield 2025-26 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Drawn
D
No results
N/R
Deductions
Ded.
Batting Bonus
Bat
Bowling Bonus
Bowl
Total points
PTS
1
NSW
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
QLD
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
SA
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
TAS
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
VIC
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
WA
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points
