Cricket

Victoria close on Shield title after substitute chaos

Mar 28, 2026

Fergus O'Neill's half-century in the Shield final has helped put Victoria in a strong position. -AAP Image

Victoria are closing on the Sheffield Shield title after a dramatic day's play at Junction Oval, punctuated by confusion around an injury substitution.

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Reigning champions SA lost five wickets in Saturday's late session on day three of the Shield final, putting the home side in the box seat.

SA limped to stumps at 5-94 in their second innings, an overall lead of only Â 31 with two days left.

Test 'keeper Alex Carey was 24no and Shield player of the season Liam Scott had made two.

Victoria were dismissed for 261 at tea and as paceman Sam Elliott prepared on the ground, he pulled up with a hamstring injury.

It clearly caught them unawares, with Mitch Perry hurrying to warm up in the nets at the back of the venue.

Assistant coach Ben Rohrer tried to start the innings as a substitute fielder until Perry was ready, but the umpires would not allow him on the ground.

The Victorians had to scramble for a suitable player, before Perry finally joined the game.

Adding to the drama, Perry trapped SA captain Nathan McSweeney lbw with his first delivery to leave the defending champions reeling at 3-35.

Todd Murphy also claimed a wicket with his first delivery, dismissing Jake Lehmann for one. Lehmann played a terrible pull shot off a nothing ball from the off spinner and edged the ball onto his stumps.

Victorian captain Will Sutherland capped an excellent day by having Jason Sangha caught behind for 34.

Fergus O'Neill and Sutherland had led Victoria's recovery after lunch, wresting the momentum from SA and setting up a first-innings lead of 63.

O'Neill top-scored with an unbeaten 64 from 134 balls, featuring seven fours - his fourth first-class 50.

After play was delayed by more than a hour on Saturday morning at Junction Oval because of more rain, Victoria reached lunch on 5-150.

Marcus Harris did not add to his score before he feathered an edge off Scott and was caught behind for 40 from 133 deliveries.

That left Victoria on the brink at 6-157 in reply to SA's 198.

But O'Neill and Sutherland batted Victoria out of trouble with a 55-run stand.

After missing out on a batting bonus point by three runs, SA can only claim back-to-back Shield titles by winning the final.

Sutherland, who took four wickets in SA's first innings, scored 34 from 57 balls. The Victorian skipper gave them the lead with a pull shot for six off Jordan Buckingham.

Nathan McAndrew took 3-71 for SA and Henry Thornton claimed 3-58.