South Australia have beaten WA at the WACA Ground thanks to an all-round performance by Liam Scott, securing a spot in the final.
Defending 208 to win, the visitors shared the wickets to win by a margin of 44 runs.
The defence begun with an early Fanning (34) onslaught and an opening partnership of 40. A Jason Sangha screamer at 1st slip got SA back in the match, as Conway (2-44), Thornton (1-51), and Agar (2-32) fought to reduce WA to 4-45.
With the ball moving off a good length, the hosts found scoring difficult as the ball kept its shine. Edges were beaten and pads rapped as the South Australian bowling contingent peppered the WA line-up.
A partnership between the experienced duo of Turner (43) and Short (55) threatened to chase the total, as they stabilised the innings despite clear early discomfort with the pitch. However, as the ball lost its shine, so did the volatility of the pitch, as Turner and Short begun to capitalise on some loose bowling.
The 77-run partnership was broken as Scott (3-16) was given a second spell, with Turner leaving the ball on off stump. The allrounder continued to prove his ability at this level, with his 3 wickets coming off the back of a vital 47 in the first innings.
With the match in the balance and the momentum swinging after every over there was one thing that remained consistent, the presence of Short at the crease. He was and remained the biggest wicket of the innings throughout the run chase, with Thornton finally being the player to claim him.
As Short fell so did the chance for a WA victory, as Pope (2-21) ran through the tail to seal the victory for South Australia.
Earlier, the hosts won the toss and elected to bowl first on a deck that offered a bit with the new ball. A quick start by the opening pair of Hunt (15) and Harvey (24) was soon flattened by a collapse of 3-15.
A consolidating effort by the in form Sangha (38) and the returning captain McSweeney (28), saw South Australia to 105 keeping the run rate moving with inventive shots and clever running.
However, with the successive departure of the pair, South Australia were left to rely upon their lower-middle order. The innings rested upon the shoulders of Scott (47), who when partnered with Matthias (14) and Thornton (23), worked to rebuild the innings and set up a defendable total. Powerful pulls into the deep outfield of the WACA Ground afforded the batters opportunities to keep the scoreboard moving.
Beardman (4-46) was the leading architect in the bowling attack against the visitors, getting the ball to skid through off a good length; the batters finding themselves caught on the crease.
The final score proved too much for the hosts to chase, with South Australia registering a victory by 44 runs – securing a place in the final.
South Australia’s next match will be a Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania at Adelaide Oval starting 18 February.