Brief Scores: Western Australia 175 and 201 for 8 beat Queensland 307 and 68 by two wickets.
Western Australia claimed a remarkable two-wicket Sheffield Shield victory over Queensland at the WACA Ground, with injured opener Sam Fanning batting at No.10 through a hamstring injury to help his side reach a 201-run target on the final day. The result was also the first Sheffield Shield win for Western Australia under new coach Beau Casson.
Fanning had been on crutches just a day before the decisive morning session. With Western Australia reduced to 161 for 8 and still 40 runs short of victory, he limped to the crease and combined with captain Aaron Hardie in a match-winning ninth-wicket stand that sealed one of the more extraordinary finishes seen at the WACA Ground in recent seasons.
The final scorecard read:
How did Western Australia turn the match around after Queensland’s first-innings lead?
Queensland posted 307 in their first innings, and Western Australia were dismissed for 175 in reply, leaving them 132 runs behind. The match appeared to be heading Queensland’s way until WA paceman Jhye Richardson produced a stunning second-innings burst, taking 5 for 19 to bowl the Bulls out for just 68. Joel Paris supported him with 3 for 21, and Western Australia were set 201 to win.
WA entered the final day at 134 for 5, requiring 67 more runs, but they added just one run to their overnight score before suffering a double disaster. Paris edged paceman Xavier Bartlett behind, and Richardson was gone for a duck off the very next delivery when his late attempt to withdraw from a rising ball only deflected it off the bat face to a waiting slip fielder. Bartlett, who finished with 4 for 53, then had Kieran Elliott caught for 20 off 27 balls, leaving WA at 161 for 8 with 40 still needed and only two wickets in hand.
What did Fanning and Hardie do to complete the victory?
With two wickets remaining and the target still 40 runs away, Fanning made his way to the crease despite a hamstring injury severe enough to have required crutches the previous day. Normally an opener, his makeshift role at No.10 was intended to support in-form skipper Hardie, who had already reached his half-century and held the key to WA’s chances. The 25-year-old’s only method of completing runs was a hurried crab walk between the wickets, a technique that brought him close to run-out on several occasions.
Fanning contributed 14 not out off 82 balls while Hardie, who had already moved past his half-century before the final morning, finished unbeaten on 80 off 128 balls. Hardie held the second innings together as wickets fell around him and was named man of the match for his efforts. The winning moment arrived when Fanning drove through the offside and crab walked his way through for the two runs that sealed victory, after which Hardie shared a long hug with his injured teammate. The performance was described as the bravest display of Fanning’s Shield career.
