Classic Sheffield Shield innings: 15-11

40-36; 35-31; 30-26; 25-21; 20-16

15. Shaun Marsh (WA) 163no v SA, Nov 2018

Western Australia won by five wickets

Shaun Marsh had advanced past his 35th birthday and was gearing up for what would prove to be his final summer as a Test player when he produced this stunning fourth-innings effort at the Adelaide Oval.

Not 12 months earlier Marsh had played one of his finest Test hands at the same venue – a match-winning 126 against England – but given his age and after four single-figure scores on a two-Test tour against Pakistan, the knives were again out ahead of the home series against India, with former Test bowler Geoff Lawson labelling Shaun and brother Mitch a "perpetual disappointment".

This performance however, was the perfect reminder as to why the older brother remained such an enticing prospect for national selectors.

After a swing masterclass from Dan Worrall had helped roll WA for 207 in their first innings in reply to the Redbacks' 251, the home side had managed 268 second time around to set the West Australians 313 for victory.

The visitors looked wobbly at 2-24 on a wicket that Marsh said "you were never in on" and with Worrall bending the ball both ways.

But the left-hander and his brother Mitch then took the score past 100, Shaun looking in particularly good touch with no fewer than nine boundaries driven between straight or through cover. By stumps, he was unbeaten on 72, and WA were 4-146, almost halfway to their target but with wickets falling regularly.

"He is batting beautifully," said Redbacks 'keeper Harry Nielsen. "We need to get him early and we will back ourselves to go right through them. He is the key to their chase, but the ball is reversing, so it is going to be tough work."

With the country's cricketing eyes on Adelaide for the final day, Marsh picked up where he left off, driving, pulling and cutting in his trademark classy fashion, and moving to a 26th first-class hundred to state his case for Test retention.

With a more circumspect Will Bosisto (58) in his slipstream, the left-hander took his team past 250 and to within touching distance of a fine chase.

Bosisto fell with 36 runs still needed, but Marsh powered on, his resistance crossing the six-hour mark as he guided his team home with a single off Travis Head around 20 minutes before tea.

In all he had faced 264 balls, scored an unbeaten 163, hit 22 fours and two sixes, and reminded everyone why he was a part of Australia's Test XI.

First inns: SA 251 (Head 87; Richardson 5-47)

Second inns: WA 207 (Richardson 53; Worrall 7-64)

Third inns: SA 268 (Nielsen 82; Kelly 5-61)

Fourth inns: WA 5-313 (Marsh 163no, Bosisto 58; Worrall 3-84)

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14. Peter Nevill (NSW) 235no v Tas, Feb 2015

NSW won by an innings & 91 runs

He didn't know it at the time, but Peter Nevill was just five months away from a long-awaited Test debut when he compiled this record-breaking knock against Tasmania at the back-end of the 2014-15 Shield season.

And amid his most productive first-class season with the bat, the Blues gloveman put together the highest score made by a wicketkeeper in the competition's history.

Twelve wickets fell on the opening day in Hobart as Tasmania were bowled out for 272, and NSW reached a shaky 2-23 at the close. The situation deteriorated quickly for the visitors the following morning, as the Tigers quality four-man seam attack of Ben Hilfenhaus, Jackson Bird, Luke Butterworth and Andrew Fekete struck three quick blows to leave them reeling at 5-66.

A counter-attacking 85 in two hours from Nic Maddinson shifted the tone somewhat, and allowed Nevill to settle into his innings, and the 'keeper then dominated another crucial partnership with Sean Abbott (37) that took the score to 7-235 and close to first-innings parity.

By stumps on day two, NSW had forged ahead by 81 and Nevill had moved to 122no, his highest first-class score. He had also found a willing accomplice in Steve O'Keefe, the pair sharing an unbroken century stand for the eighth wicket.

Day three saw an incredible wagging of the Blues tail, as O'Keefe (99), Gurinder Sandhu (28) and Doug Bollinger (41no) all partnered with Nevill to deflate a Tasmania attack that had begun the innings with such impetus.

Throughout, the 'keeper-batter stuck to his game plan, relying on a tight defence, smart shot selection and some searing boundaries through point and cover.

On 204 he overtook Adam Gilchrist to own the second-highest score by a gloveman in Shield history, and 10 runs later, Wayne Phillips' 29-year Shield record was eclipsed.

As a 10th-wicket stand with Bollinger ballooned out beyond 100, the Blues remarkably found themselves in a position to declare, with their first-innings lead sitting at 304.

Nevill exited unbeaten on 235, with 25 fours and a six to his name, and having faced 379 balls and batted for four minutes short of nine hours.

A day later, after Tassie had imploded to lose their last nine second-innings wickets for 65 and the match by an innings and plenty, his innings looked all the more impressive.

"Full credit to Peter Nevill," said Tasmania's Jordan Silk. "I thought he batted superbly. He put away any bad ball that we bowled and he fully deserved his double ton."

First inns: Tasmania 272 (Cowan 76; Abbott 3-79)

Second inns: NSW 9d-576 (Nevill 235no, O'Keefe 99; Bird 3-123)

Third inns: Tas 213 (Silk 71; Bollinger 5-56)

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13. Simon Katich (NSW) 182no & 71no v WA, Nov 2003

New South Wales won by five wickets

Simon Katich had spent a season without a Shield century after his highly-publicised move from Western Australia to New South Wales, but the classy Perth product was never going to be denied a three-figure score for long.

When it arrived, it was a biggie, and inevitably it came against his former side during a spectacular contest at the SCG.

Katich had played a Test there a month earlier (just the second of his career), making 52 against Zimbabwe and by the end of this Shield clash, he had shored up his spot for the summer's main event – a four-Test series against India.

On a placid pitch, WA were thankful for Murray Goodwin's splendid 201no, which held their innings of 376 together, and when the Waugh twins departed in quick succession shortly before tea on day two, the Blues were 5-127 and staring at a sizeable first-innings deficit.

The 28-year-old Katich proved a cool head in a crisis. Circumspect initially, he became ever-more comfortable at the crease and began unfurling all manner of strokes, particularly the cut shot, which he used to great effect.

By stumps, he was unbeaten on 101, having celebrated his long-awaited milestone by kissing the NSW badge on his helmet.

The Blues added another 163 across the first half of day three, of which Katich contributed half, taking his score to 182no before the final wicket fell, with the hosts earning first-innings points and boasting a lead of 60.

It had been a seven-hour, 326-ball epic from the Blues' No.3, and the first of 15 hundreds he would go on to score for his adopted state.

At the close of play, WA led by 94 with nine wickets still in hand and their captain Justin Langer unbeaten on 81, but the chances of either side managing an outright victory seemed slim.

Langer, though, had other ideas. The left-hander produced a stirring hundred of his own, and then at 2.22pm decided WA would chance their arm with a declaration, leaving NSW with 303 to win in 52 overs.

It was a carrot the Steve Waugh-led Blues couldn't resist. They fairly raced out of the blocks, passing 70 inside 10 overs, but the aggressive start had come at the cost of three wickets.

Waugh then teamed up with Phil Jaques (43 off 35) and the pair put on 99 from as many balls to lift the Blues' hopes.

At 4-169 in the 27th over, Waugh was joined by his brother Mark (13), and the elder twin continued swinging freely, scoring the bulk of a 46-run stand from 57 balls.

He reached his hundred moments before Mark was bowled by Beau Casson, paving the way for Katich's arrival. At that point, NSW needed 88 from 96 balls with five wickets in hand.

Adding to the drama was the fact Katich was at one point a doubt to even enter the action, after he suffered a thumb injury in the field, and was sent for an X-ray.

"He couldn't move his thumb," Waugh said of Katich. "I said, 'Take a couple of Panadol Fortes and get out there' ... it was an amazing innings of his."

Indeed it was. Across the next 12 overs, Waugh was a virtual spectator (he contributed just 17 runs) as Katich went berserk.

Having played a patient, measured hand in the first-innings, the future 56-Test rep showcased the full range of his batting ability, taking to his former teammates with alacrity.

From just 45 balls he blasted an unbeaten 71, scoring a boundary (12x4s, 1x6) almost every three deliveries he faced.

In the end, the Blues cantered to their target with 28 balls to spare, and Katich finished the match with 253 runs to his name without being dismissed.

First inns: WA 376 (Goodwin 201no; Mail 2-57)

Second inns: NSW 436 (Katich 182no; Casson 4-141)

Third inns: WA 8d-362 (Langer 163no; Nicholson 4-69)

Fourth inns: NSW 5-303 (S Waugh 117no, Katich 71no; Wilson 2-79)

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12. Brad Haddin (NSW) 68no & 41 v Qld, Mar 2005

New South Wales won by one wicket

Former Test gloveman Brad Haddin capped off the finest Shield season of his career with a pair of outstanding captain's knocks for NSW in the 2004-05 decider.

Haddin was still a few years away from a Test debut but in the 2004-05 summer he had been batting like Adam Gilchrist, plundering almost 800 runs in the Shield at a strike-rate above 80.

But his two most important innings were still to come.

The Blues' rout of Queensland for 102 on a rain-and-bad-light affected day one set the tone for a high-octane, low-scoring affair that was played out inside three days.

Haddin came to the crease inside the first hour of day two with NSW 4-43 and at risk of surrendering a small lead, with Queensland boasting strong pace options in Andy Bichel, Joe Dawes, Ashley Noffke, Shane Watson and James Hopes, as well as the support of Andrew Symonds.

Just two runs into his innings, he received a healthy dose of luck when he was bowled by Noffke from a no-ball.

Even as four more wickets tumbled before the break, Haddin took the attack to the Bulls, racing to 34no by lunch, with his side 8-128.

Thereafter, and ably supported by Nathan Bracken and Stuart Clark, he doubled his score, finishing 68no in 188 as the Blues took a vital 86-run lead into the second innings.

In reply, Queensland were steered to 268 by a wonderful hundred from Martin Love (the only other player in this match to reach 40 – and an innings that features earlier on this top 40 list), leaving the Blues requiring 183 to win the Shield and ensure the Bulls would come away from a third-straight decider empty-handed.

Second time around, Haddin entered proceedings at 4-97, with 86 still needed. In less than an hour he had swung the equation in NSW's favour, knocking up a quick-fire 41 from 40 balls to put his side to within 25 of victory.

Incredibly, his wicket came in the middle of a spectacular Blues collapse of 5-3 in 17 balls, leaving the final pair of Bracken and Stuart MacGill with 23 runs still to collect.

They got there, dramatically, and Haddin's twin knocks were feted as the difference between victory and defeat.

"We should never have lost it," he said post-match, "and then we should never have won it."

Haddin finished the match with a personal tally of 109 runs for once out, pushing him past 900 runs for the Shield season for the only time in his career.

First inns: Qld 102 (Symonds 36; Bracken 6-27)

Second inns: NSW 188 (Haddin 68no; Noffke 4-58)

Third inns: Qld 268 (Love 116; Nicholson 5-60)

Fourth inns: NSW 9-183 (Haddin 41; Dawes 3-30)

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11. Michael Di Venuto (Tas) 174no v NSW, Nov 2003

Tasmania won by six wickets

Just 10 days after NSW surged to a 300-plus final-day run chase against WA (see earlier in this list), they were on the receiving end of a considerably larger effort from the men from the Apple Isle.

Fellow century-maker Dan Marsh deserves special mention here for his incredible support act, but the performance from his long-time Tassie teammate Michael Di Venuto must be ranked among the great fourth-innings efforts in this country's domestic cricket history.

An aggressive top-order bat with more than a decade's worth of first-class experience in Australia and the UK, Di Venuto was a month out from turning 30 in this match, in which he batted No.4.

The Blues arrived in Hobart on a high after their thrilling five-wicket win over WA the previous week, and their two century-makers in that match, Steve Waugh and Simon Katich, were in fine fettle once again, making 157 and 171 respectively to pave the way for a declaration early on day two at 5-453.

Tasmania gave up a 177-run lead in reply, with Stuart MacGill taking 5-79 for the Blues, and when the visitors declared again in their second innings at 8-208, the run chase was on.

Despite the daunting target of 386, Tasmania did have some recent history on their side, having chased down totals of 402 and 401 in the competition's previous eight seasons.

Di Venuto had performed well in both those efforts, scoring 66 and 53 respectively, though they were hardly a portent for what was to come.

At the beginning of day four, the equation read: 350 runs needed in 96 overs, with nine wickets in hand.

"It is not going to be easy, that's for sure," said Tigers captain Marsh. "It is just going to take two blokes getting big scores and other blokes batting around them."

Di Venuto didn't have long to consider those numbers as he was out in the middle in the third over of the day after Jamie Cox's early departure.

With MacGill looming as the biggest threat on a pitch that had offered no assistance for a Blues pace attack led by Stuart Clark and Matthew Nicholson, he and Shane Watson (42) put together 103 for the third wicket before the leg-spinner claimed his second wicket of the morning.

The wicket of Michael Dighton (24) brought Marsh to the middle, and the run rate required at that point had blown out to 4.3, with 220 runs still needed from the final 51 overs.

Benefiting Tasmania as the day wore on was a harsh wind that had whipped up around Bellerive Oval. It had gathered in intensity, and forced the umpires to remove the bails from the stumps and NSW's bowlers off their line. MacGill, particularly, began to struggle with his length and Di Venuto and Marsh seized their advantage.

As the afternoon wore on, and Waugh's bowlers grew increasingly frustrated at a lack of any opportunities, the Tassie pair's fifth-wicket stand gathered momentum; their first 50 runs took 88 balls, the next 72, and the next 66.

The left-handed Di Venuto brought up his 29th first-class hundred from 171 balls while Marsh reached three figures from just 138 balls, as the pair took their stand from 150 to 200 in 54 deliveries.

By that point, just 20 runs were needed and the duo duly knocked them off, cruising to a remarkable victory with 14 balls to spare.

"The belief was there," Marsh said afterward, "and even though we knew we had to play the game of our lives, it turned out that way."

First inns: NSW 5d-453 (Katich 171, S Waugh 157; Wright 3-86)

Second inns: Tas 276 (Marsh 68; MacGill 5-79)

Third inns: NSW 8d-208 (Mail 107no; Wright 4-50)

Fourth inns: Tas 4-386 (Di Venuto 174no, Marsh 107no; MacGill 2-135)