Gannon and Rocchiccioli made sure Queensland couldn't hold
out for a tie, propelling WA up to second place on the table.
Queensland 170 (Rocchiccioli 4-54) and 301 (Wildermuth 91, McDermott 59,
Rocchiccioli 4-109, Gannon 3-49) were defeated by Western Australia 310
(Goodwin 115, Whiteman 79, Bartlett 5-64) and 307 for 7 Dec (Inglis 136*) by
146 runs.
After a crucial 146-run victory over Queensland at the WACA, defending
champions Western Australia surged to second place on the table with one round
of the Sheffield Shield left.
Day four saw Queensland reach 81 for 4 early, but Jack Wildermuth and Ben McDermott made WA work for their win, scoring half-centuries before the match
ended early in the last session.
Corey Rocchiccioli, an off-spinner, and Cameron Gannon, a
rapid bowler, combined for seven wickets in what was probably the final day of
cricket in the WACA this season.
With the Tigers solidly in the driver's seat to host the Shield final beginning
on March 21, WA went past Victoria, who dropped to third on the standings after
losing to Tasmania in a thrilling match.
This means that when Victoria and WA play each other in what is essentially a
semi-final on March 11 at the Junction Oval, they will compete for a position
in the championship game.
All-around player Aaron Hardie, who missed the T20I series against New Zealand due to a calf injury, may change his position in the starting lineup for Western Australia, albeit he may be selected as a specialist batter.
Given his history of injuries, seasoned left-arm quick Joel Paris might be rested, which might allow spinning all-rounder Ashton Agar to play in his first Shield game of the year.
Despite Rocchiccioli's recent success, Agar has been unable to break into the team. However, WA will probably consider using two spinners in their frontline attack. Despite never having played together for Western Australia, Agar and Rocchiccioli are good friends and teammates in club cricket.
"I hope so," Agar's potential opponent Victoria,
Agar's response to a question. "It would be a lot of fun if Ash and I
could spin a web. We have a strong bond and are constantly having off-topic
conversations."I'm really incredibly eager to play a top-notch match with
him, hopefully."
Out of the final's calculations, Queensland resumed at 56 for 1, hoping to bat
through for a draw after Jack Clayton and Angus Lovell had dug in impressively
late in the third day when the surface seemed to be free of demons.
However, they faced cloudy and humid circumstances with
Paris and Gannon threatening to rapidly dash Queensland's aspirations. Max
Bryant was not happy with his decision to go out on a yorker from Gannon, and
he lost out to Lovell and Clayton within the first fifteen minutes of an
extended opening session.
Paris continued his incredible season, bowling largely around the wicket to
right-handed hitters and posing a threat with his enormous swing on nearly
every ball.
He also hit McDermott on the body and occasionally delivered a short-pitched,
stern voice that startled him.
The tall Gannon is a Major League Cricket player with an
American passport who has been a consistent choice for WA when given the
chance.
It looked as though Queensland might not make it through the practice, so he
used his height to terrible advantage. When Rocchiccioli bowled captain Jimmy
Peirson, an early end looked likely, but as the light came up, McDermott and
Wildermuth held fast.
In the midst of the pitch's reconstruction, McDermott was in aggressive form
and utilized his feet brilliantly to blast Rocchiccioli down the ground for
six.
There was a brief interruption, but McDermott seemed unfazed
by Queensland's situation when play started up again until he stole a brilliant
delivery from seamer Charlie Stobo early in the second session.
However, Queensland once more refused to back down, frustrating Western
Australia with a half-century partnership between Wildermuth and Xavier
Bartlett. Bartlett went down, but Wildermuth was enjoying counterattacking with
the second new ball as the field appeared to be leveling under the sun.
When he overcame Rocchiccioli to slip on the stroke of tea
on 91, he virtually put an end to Queensland's struggle.
Paul Wilson and Bruce Oxenford, retiring umpires, were shown great respect by
the teams and the few spectators before play began. It was their last day off officiating in Australian cricket.
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