Sheffield Shield 2024/25, WA vs VIC 29th Match Match Report, March 15 – 18, 2025

Victoria 197 & 335 for 8 (Kellaway 151*, Macdonald 60, Rocchiccioli 3-85, Paris 2-63) lead Western Australia 186 (Connolly 56, Goodwin 36, Moody 4-41, Siddle 3-10, Sutherland 3-32) by 346 runs

Kellaway finished unbeaten on 151 off 310 balls as Victoria reached stumps at 335 for 8 in their second innings with a lead of 346 runs.

A thrilling final day could be in the works with WA needing victory to leapfrog second-placed Queensland, who are almost certain to draw their clash with South Australia. New South Wales’ chances of playing South Australia in the final on March 26 appear forlorn as they face a near impossible run chase on the last day against Tasmania.

“We’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow, that’s the attitude that we’ll take,” WA coach Adam Voges said.

Victoria’s chances of progressing to the final are all but over. However, they will be aiming to end WA’s bid to become the first state to win four titles in a row since the six-team competition started in 1977-78.

Kellaway, 22, continued his strong late season form on the back of making 79 and 77 last week on a tricky surface against South Australia. He became the first visiting batter to score a century at the WACA this Shield season. The surface, however, has flattened out considerably after the bowlers dominated on the opening two days.

“We’re definitely looking to come away with a win. I definitely think there is enough in this wicket (to get ten wickets),” Kellaway said after his second first-class century.

Kellaway batted through the entire day’s play after Victoria resumed with a lead of 43 runs and ten wickets in hand. WA hoped to regroup having been left flustered with several tight decisions not going their way, including a big lbw appeal from left-arm quick Joel Paris on Kellaway on the first ball of the innings.

The surface had started to become easier to bat late on day two and flattened even more under the sun. Victoria had little trouble until Marcus Harris edged quick Brody Couch to second slip where Cameron Bancroft took a superb one-handed catch to his left low to the ground.

Bancroft, one of the country’s best fielders, was ecstatic and his brilliant catch energised WA as Couch started to threaten with sharp back of a length bowling.

Couch was left further frustrated when a confident appeal for lbw on Kellaway was turned down in a tight call with height perhaps the only issue. After those fireworks, the batters took control in a rarity amid a particularly bowler-friendly period at the WACA in recent matches.

Macdonald pounced on unusually ragged bowling from offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who was up against a surface giving him very little compared to when he took five wickets on the opening day.

Macdonald reached his half-century off 67 balls, including ten boundaries, with his driving down the ground a feature. But nerves crept in just before lunch and he almost holed out to Cartwright’s handy seamers before falling down the legside on the last ball of the session.

All eyes on resumption were on debutant Oliver Peake after his impressive 52 was the top score in Victoria’s first innings. Having had limited scoring opportunities on day one, the 18-year-old was faced with easier conditions although his first boundary was in streaky fashion through the slips.

Peake could not find fluency and on 21 was well caught in the gully by Cameron Gannon after flashing at Paris. Having been a development tourist with Australia’s Test squad in Sri Lanka last month, Peake confirmed his status as a long-term Test prospect after facing 222 balls across the match.

His wicket sparked a collapse out of nowhere with Rocchiccioli, who has a knack of making things happen, claiming the wickets of Peter Handscomb and Harry Dixon in the same over.

However, Kellaway proved a thorn and he reached his century with a boundary through the off-side, but he celebrated modestly knowing there was still plenty of work to do.