Stumps Western Australia 167 and 34 for 1 (Fanning 13*, Goodwin 10*, O’Neill 1-12) trail Victoria 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 being skittled for 167, WA appeared to be containing Victoria at the Junction Oval when the hosts were 207 for 6 on Saturday. But No. 9 Xavier Crone hit an unbeaten 62 from 65 balls, smashing three sixes to help Victoria reach 373.
Fellow lower-order batters Fergus O’Neill (44) and Sam Elliott (26) also chipped in to make WA’s bowlers toil in hot conditions for most of the day.
WA had to bat for the last hour before stumps on Saturday, reaching 33 for 1 with Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin at the crease. Opener Cameron Bancroft, who has endured an unfortunate form slump after dominating the Shield for the past two seasons, struggled again. After recently being overlooked for a call-up to the Test team for the first time since the 2019 Ashes, Bancroft fell to O’Neill for 11. In the first innings on Friday, Bancroft could only manage 12, also losing his wicket to O’Neill.
Victoria have set themselves up nicely to become the first team to beat WA in the Shield this season. WA are aiming to claim a fourth straight title, and were undefeated after three matches before they headed to Melbourne.
