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Match Report:

Scorecard

Star-studded Blues eye final-day victory

Gun pacemen Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc fire to put NSW in control entering fourth day at SCG

Pat Cummins led the way as NSW's Test-strength bowling attack rose to the occasion on Wednesday, ripping through Western Australia's batting to leave the Blues on track for a fourth successive Marsh Sheffield Shield win.

WA ended a disappointing day at 3-28, still a distant 324 runs shy of an unlikely victory.

The day commenced with WA at 1-85 and seemingly well placed to force a draw, but an inspired spell from Cummins plundered the middle order as the visitors capitulated to be all out for 191 and trail by 253 runs on the first innings.

It got even worse for WA late in the day after NSW set them a reasonably generous victory total of 352 off 115 overs.

Prolific Smith scores his slowest first-class century

Test spearhead Cummins returned the best figures in WA's first innings picking up 3-31 with some genuine pace and accuracy.

Fellow Australian paceman Mitchell Starc chipped in with 2-45, while spin-pair Steve O'Keefe (3-36) and Nathan Lyon (2-44) made strong contributions.

Middle-order batsman Marcus Stoinis appeared unlucky to be given out caught at first slip off Lyon after a gritty knock of 20, while Ashton Agar (33) was the only WA batsman to offer any real resistance.

NSW declined to enforce the follow-on and instead batted with ease to race to 98 off 17 overs without loss before declaring.

Daniel Hughes ended on 53 not out after a 42-ball half century with Moises Henriques also unbeaten on 42.

Starc (2-5) then showed his quality with two superb deliveries to remove Shaun Marsh and nightwatchman Mathew Kelly, while Cummins (1-10) knocked over opener Josh Philippe for five.

NSW Blues: Daniel Hughes, Daniel Solway, Steven Smith, Moises Henriques, Nick Larkin, Peter Nevill (c/wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Steve O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Western Australia: D'Arcy Short, Josh Philippe, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner (c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (wk), Ashton Agar, Matthew Kelly, Liam Guthrie, Liam O'Connor