South Australia has secured a home final in the Ryobi One Day Cup, after defeating Victoria by 48 runs in their clash at the MCG.
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They will meet Tasmania on February 25 at the Adelaide Oval, after reducing Victoria to 9-229 in the 45th over.
Victorian Andrew Fekete was unable to bat, because of a fractured foot sustained during Victoria’s bowling stint earlier in the day.
Victoria lost 5-42 in a monumental collapse, before debutant Clive Rose (23 not out) and Scott Boland (19) did all they could to make a game of it.
For South Australia, Jake Haberfield snared 2-36 and Gary Putland grabbed 2-63 to be the leading wicket takers.
Nathan Lyon also hit back strongly, after copping a bit of stick from Aaron Finch earlier, to claim 1-68—to complement his two important run outs.
The Bushrangers looked to be coasting at the halfway stage of their innings at 3-143, with Finch (68) doing the damage and with Andrew McDonald absolutely flying.
Until some excellent fielding from Lyon off his own bowling, where he dived to stop the ball from going past him and then flung it back to keeper Adam Crosthwaite in the same motion, forced McDonald to depart.
It was a real turning point in the match, as McDonald (43 off 36) looked to be in devastating touch and his wicket exposed the inexperienced Bushrangers’ middle order.
Lyon then had Will Sheridan caught at bat pad by a diving James Smith, after a thick inside edge.
Fellow spinner Aaron O’Brien also got in on the act to remove Ryan Carters for six on a top edged sweep shot to trigger a Bushrangers collapse at 6-164.
Some dreadful indecision from Alex Keath and Peter Handscomb led to the pair being stranded mid pitch, which led to Lyon inflicting his second run out to dismiss Keath for six.
With the required run rate beginning to mount, Handscomb lost his wicket for 28 in search of a pressure releasing boundary, caught in the deep by Smith off Putland.
Ultimately, a promising start was not capitalised upon, as the Bushrangers left too much to do to their inexperienced players in the middle order.
Earlier, Michael Klinger made a stunning 112 to position South Australia nicely at 7-277 at the end of their 50 overs.
