Sheffield Protect 2024/25, WA vs VIC twenty ninth Match Match Report, March 15 – 18, 2025

03/15/2025 5:27 PM

Sheffield Protect 2024/25, WA vs VIC twenty ninth Match Match Report, March 15 – 18, 2025

Western Australia 10 for 1 (Bancroft 8*, Sutherland 1-2) path Victoria 197 (Peake 52, Handscomb 48, Rocchiccioli 5-67, Paris 3-37) by 187 runs

Oliver Peake demonstrated his credentials as a long-term Check prospect with a combating half-century in his first-class debut to top-score for Victoria on a tricky WACA floor towards Western Australia in a pivotal Sheffield Protect match.

Victoria made 197 with their first innings dominated by a 94-run fourth-wicket partnership between the highly-touted Peake and Peter Handscomb. WA had a difficult 15-minute interval on the crease earlier than stumps on day one they usually misplaced skipper Sam Whiteman caught down the legside off Will Sutherland for a duck.

It was an excellent fightback from Victoria led by Peake. Coming to the crease at 5 for two within the seventh over, the left-handed batter was unflustered by the situations and WA’s sturdy assault to complete with 52 off 168 balls.

The 18-year-old showcased strong defence and good judgement on a wicket doing loads for the bowlers. The diminutive Peake was lastly dismissed early within the last session after edging offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli to first slip. Having made his BBL debut this summer time, Peake was a improvement vacationer with Australia’s Check squad in Sri Lanka final month.

“It was actually powerful, but it surely was good to get in a partnership with Pete and see how a real skilled goes about it. Took loads out of it,” mentioned Peake, whose father Clinton – a former first-class cricketer – was in attendance. “We batted fairly nicely to make 197 on that wicket, so we might take that.”

Each groups stay within the race to play South Australia within the last beginning on March 26, however will want an outright victory and in addition Queensland and New South Wales to not win their respective matches.

With a really inexperienced pitch unveiled and gray clouds lurking above, Whiteman had no hesitation to bowl first. He needed to be happy together with his determination after the primary supply when left-arm fast Joel Paris beat the surface fringe of Campbell Kellaway, who entered in kind after scores of 79 and 77 final week towards South Australia.

With the ball seaming wickedly round and rearing off the floor, the Victoria openers had a torrid time and former Check opener Marcus Harris succumbed for two after Cameron Bancroft took a pointy catch at second slip off Cameron Gannon.

Blake Macdonald was then bowled by a cracking inswinging supply from left-arm fast Joel Paris, who was sometimes correct with the brand new ball.

Peake had the hardest of initiations, however his nerves eased when he acquired off the mark after a fumble from Cooper Connolly at level allowed him a simple single that was greeted with cheers from his team-mates within the terraces.

However Peake could not add to his tally for a while as he targeted on agency defence to repel the risk. Peake did lose focus when he tried to bludgeon Paris and he was lucky to not get an edge.

With speedster Lance Morris lacking the match on account of load administration, Whiteman within the twelfth over turned to Rocchiccioli who enjoys coming in early on account of his knack of manufacturing bounce.

He proved a handful as he spun the ball sharply previous the bat on a number of events. The bowling modifications labored a deal with with fast Brody Sofa – a like-for-like substitute for Morris – putting in his first over after trapping Kellaway lbw with a full supply that was spearing down the legside.

Kellaway was dismayed on the dismissal as Victoria slumped to twenty for 3. However Handscomb mustered his wealth of expertise and offered a steadying presence alongside Peake as they fought by to lunch.

Very like final week’s drawn match between WA and NSW at the WACA, batting appeared to change into simpler towards an older and softer ball. However runs continued to be arduous to search out with simply three boundaries hit within the first half of the day’s play.

With the match in a stalemate, Whiteman introduced on Hilton Cartwright whose useful seam bowling nowadays hovers at speeds of round 125 kph. However he hit a divot together with his first ball that climbed steeply and whacked Handscomb on the thumb of his left hand.

Handscomb dropped his bat instantly and sought medical consideration, however resumed batting and shortly after – on his 103rd supply confronted – cracked his first boundary of the innings when he hit Gannon by level.

Peake’s third boundary was his finest with a stunning cowl drive off Cartwright and simply earlier than tea he reached his half-century off 153 balls in a landmark that was nicely appreciated by his team-mates.

However the break halted their momentum and the match flipped on resumption with Handscomb on 48 edging the hard-working Rocchiccioli to quick leg. It triggered a collapse with Peake lastly falling and Harry Dixon, one other high-rated teen, additionally falling to Rocchiccioli, who has a knack of taking wickets in clumps.

Rocchiccioli clinched his second five-wicket haul of his first-class profession when Gannon took a blinder of a catch excessive to his proper at slip to dismiss Peter Siddle.

Returning after a protracted stint overseas, the place he made his Check debut and opened within the Champions Trophy semi-final towards India, Connolly bowled simply two overs and was wicketless.

Victoria are with out spearhead Scott Boland, who didn’t journey to Perth as he manages knee soreness, with former WA fast David Moody enjoying his first Protect match in two years.

Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based mostly in Perth