Harris ton sets up pulsating final day

A Marcus Harris century has powered Western Australia to a lead of 280 going into the final day of the Bupa Sheffield Shield final in Hobart, with Victoria paceman James Pattinson suffering a hamstring issue that resulted in him leaving the field.

Pattinson pulled up in his delivery stride in the last ball of his sixth over, clutching his hamstring and exiting proceedings immediately on the stroke of tea.

The 24-year-old didn’t return in the afternoon session, and will be reassessed by the Cricket Victoria medical staff on the morning of day five.

Quick Single: Pattinson injures left hamstring

Pattinson’s injury left the Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers a bowler short and the Alcohol.Think Again Western Warriors capitalised through left-handed opener Harris.

Harris (128 not out) scored his first century of the Shield season when it mattered most to steer Western Australia to 2-240 at stumps on day four, equating to a lead of 280 with 104 overs to be bowled on the final day of the domestic cricket season.

Harris’s ton came from 107 balls as WA hit the accelerator in the final session, tallying 169 runs in an effort to set Victoria a target on day five with enough overs to take 10 wickets.

"You're never sure after being such a big break between hundreds when it (making a century) is going to happen again," Harris said. 

"But I knew I'd been hitting the ball well and I batted well in the first innings, so I knew if I concentrated for long enough it would be just around the corner.

"Fortunately it was today - and it was in a Shield final."

Across the four days of play, only 22 wickets have fallen on a benign wicket offering no assistance to either spin or seam, meaning the Warriors will have their work cut out for them if they are to secure an outright victory to win their third trophy of the summer.

The morning started with Bushrangers young guns Marcus Stoinis and Peter Handscomb at the crease, trailing WA by 133 runs with seven wickets in hand, before two-Test spinner Ashton Agar struck twice in consecutive balls to breathe air back into the match.

Agar’s bowling had been frugal but fruitless previously, but a change of ends brought early rewards when a quicker delivery stayed on with the arm and skidded through the defences of the stubborn Marcus Stoinis, whose 165-ball vigil ended three runs short of his 10th half-century of the summer.

More joy followed next ball when the 21-year-old orthodox spinner slid one past the outside edge of Matthew Wade’s bat and into his pads to be judged lbw by Cricket Australia Umpire of the Year Simon Fry.

Voges continued to push for victory knowing a draw would see the opposition win the title, employing his spearhead Nathan Coulter-Nile (1-82) from both ends in search of consistent breakthroughs.

But Handscomb negotiated the pace of Coulter-Nile and spin of Agar, approaching a Shield final half-century before a superb return catch by Nathan Rimmington (3-79) ended his stay on 48.

The pressure started to build on the ladder leaders, and when Dan Christian (27) was bowled by an Andrew Tye delivery that pitched in line and straightened to clip the outside of off-stump, the men in white and black started to think of a first-innings lead.

The icing on the cake was Voges’ dismissal of Peter Siddle, caught by Harris at short mid-on to redeem himself after spilling a routine catch in the same position on day three.

The Warriors wrapped up the two wickets they needed shortly after lunch, both to Rimmington, to put the ball back in the visitors’ court.

"We certainly let 3-288 let slip today," said Bushrangers coach Greg Shipperd. "Didn’t quite get the runs we were looking for or the precision bowling that we really wanted out of our group. 

"The game is still up for grabs for both sides and that’s where it should be."

Harris and opening partner Cameron Bancroft (38) consolidated in the afternoon session prior to tea, before bursting out of the gate in the evening.

A first-wicket stand of 123 was ended by Siddle (1-37) when Bancroft was caught at short-leg, bringing Michael Klinger to the crease and with him more runs at a faster rate.

Harris and Klinger (45) put on 89 for the second wicket at more than five runs an over. Klinger fell five short of his half-century when he chipped a Scott Boland (1-56) slower ball back to the bowler, allowing Harris and Voges (15 not out) to see out the day.

"I've got all the faith in our bowlers," Harris added. "The way they bowled this morning, (Victoria) lost seven wickets in a session-and-a-bit. Hopefully that can happen again tomorrow.

"It's still quite a good wicket to bat on, but there are areas that if you put the ball in the right spot something will happen, some crack outside off-stump to both left-handers and right-handers, and there's a few little plates. 

"All we can hope is it keeps getting a bit worse."

Victoria: Chris Rogers, Rob Quiney, Matthew Wade (capt), Fawad Ahmed, Scott Boland, Dan Christian, Peter Handscomb, David Hussey, Peter Siddle, Marcus Stoinis, James Pattinson, Jon Holland (12th man).

Western Australia: Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, Michael Klinger, Adam Voges (capt), Shaun Marsh, Sam Whiteman, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nathan Rimmington, Andrew Tye, Simon Mackin, David Moody (12th man).