Rain, bad light ends NSW victory bid
South Australia were 3 for 82 chasing 272 runs for victory against NSW when bad light and rain ended the match
AAP
03-Nov-2022
Bad light ended the match • Getty Images
South Australia 311 & 3 for 82 (Hunt 25, Tremain 1-7) drew with New South Wales 5 for 389 dec & 8 for 193 dec (Holt 49*, Agar 3-43)
Rain and bad light have robbed NSW of the chance to push for victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia in Wollongong.
NSW declared their second innings at 8 for 193 shortly after lunch on the final day, setting the Redbacks a victory target of 272 off 69 overs.
Eight overs were lost due to a rain delay in the middle session, and bad light forced players off shortly after tea with just 30.5 overs bowled in the innings.
The Redbacks were 3 for 82 having just lost Daniel Drew for 22 when the players were forced off. Travis Head was unbeaten on 12 at the time, but another burst of rain while the players were off for the bad light meant the match was declared a draw.
The result ensured NSW stay on the bottom of the Shield ladder, with SA also winless and just one rung above them.
"We played really well," NSW wicketkeeper Baxter Holt told Kayo after the match. "We were really good in patches. KP [Kurtis Patterson] with a hundred, Daniel Hughes with 91 [in the first innings].
"All the batters chipped in. And to see the bowlers take 10 wickets in the first innings is something really special on a wicket like that.
"Unfortunately the weather and bad light took us off the field.
"We did everything we possibly could to get us in a position [to win], and unfortunately the weather held us back."
The Blues started day four at 3 for 35 - a lead of 113 - and they were looking relatively comfortable at 4 for 103 before suffering a double blow.
Brendan Doggett removed Sean Abbott for a quickfire 18, before Wes Agar snared the crucial scalp of Jason Sangha as NSW staggered to 6 for 107.
But Holt and Ben Dwarshuis steadied the ship with a 69-run stand, giving the Blues a handy lead before they declared with 69 overs remaining in the match.
SA needed to score at 3.9 runs an over to pull off victory, but they lacked intent from the outset and it soon became a case of mere survival.
Jake Weatherald was the first to fall when he was bowled by spinner Nathan Lyon, and the Redbacks were 2 for 50 when Henry Hunt was trapped lbw by Chris Tremain.
Drew was the final batter to be dismissed, with the players called off due to bad light immediately after his departure.