Melbourne [Australia], March 30 (ANI): South Australia pulled off a stunning turnaround at Junction Oval in Melbourne to defeat Victoria by 56 runs in the Sheffield Shield 2025-26 final on Sunday and secure back-to-back titles.

In a match that ebbed and flowed over five days, the visitors overcame a first-innings deficit and a second-innings collapse to defend their crown dramatically.

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After Will Sutherland-led Victoria won the toss and put Nathan McSweeney's South Australia in to bat first, the defending champions got all out for just 198, with McSweeney being the only batter to cross the fifty-run mark, making 52 runs.

For Victoria, captain Sutherland scalped four wickets, giving away just 54 runs, while Scott Boland and Fergus O Neill grabbed three wickets apiece.

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Victoria, in response, made 261 runs with help from O Neill's 64-run knock and 40 from Marcus Harris, along with contributions from Sutherland's 34 and Campbell Kellaway's 29.

For South Australia, Nathan McAndrew (3/71 in 21 overs) and Henry Thornton (3/58 in 17 overs) were the key contributors with the ball.

After trailing by 63 runs, South Australia's title defence looked in jeopardy when they slumped to 122/7 in their second innings--a lead of only 59 runs. However, veteran wicketkeeper Alex Carey produced a defining performance, scoring a resilient 103.

Carey found a vital ally in Nathan McAndrew (60), and the pair shared a 105-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Their defiance pushed the total to 258, setting Victoria a target of 196 for victory.

Entering Day 5, Victoria appeared to be in the driving seat, needing 94 runs with five wickets in hand. However, the South Australian bowling attack, led by Nathan McAndrew (3/50 in 15 overs) and Liam Scott (3/32 in 16 overs), tore through the remaining lineup.

The hosts suffered a catastrophic collapse, losing their final seven wickets for just 37 runs. Any hopes of a Victorian fightback were extinguished as Henry Thornton (3/12) cleaned up the tail, eventually bowling Fergus O'Neill to help South Australia defend their Sheffield Shield title.

Nathan McAndrew won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant work with the ball while Liam Scott won the Player of the Tournament award for his 547 runs with the bat and 28 wickets with the ball for South Australia. (ANI)

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