WA demolish Vics, host Shield final for first time since 1997-98

Western Australia have stormed into the Marsh Sheffield Shield final with a three-day demolition of Victoria – the same side they will host at the WACA in next week's decider.

It will be the first time they have hosted Australia's most prestigious domestic cricket final since 1997-98 and they will be chasing their first title since 1998-99 when a line-up boasting Adam Gilchrist, Michael Hussey, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Tom Moody and Brendon Julian lifted the Shield.

Their current coach Adam Voges was still a player when they featured in their last Shield final, which they drew with top-ranked Victoria in 2014-15, with both Voges and Vics coach Chris Rogers scoring centuries in the match.

Needing a win or a draw to qualify for the decider, WA mercilessly destroyed Victoria by an innings and 51 runs with a serious display of fast bowling, which was so dominant that off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli only sent down six overs for the match.

Resuming day three 5-82 in their second innings and still requiring another 141 runs to make the hosts bat again, Victoria crumbled inside 61 overs, losing their last five wickets for 90 runs to be bowled out for 172 just after lunch.

It was only slightly better than their first innings effort of 114 on day one, with speedster Lance Morris the chief second innings destroyer with 4-55.

Joel Paris (3-31) struck on just the eighth ball of the day with nightwatchman – and Victoria's batting hero against Tasmania – Mitch Perry (3) edging to Sam Whiteman at third slip.

Young allrounder Aaron Hardie, who set up the win with four wickets on day one, also chipped in with 2-46 in the second innings.

Matt Short was the only Victorian batter to look comfortable on the WACA surface across the three days with 35 in the second innings to go with his 43 in the first, but was out flaying loosely at a Hardie delivery just before lunch.

Wicketkeeper Sam Harper also dug in, taking 41 balls to get off the mark before ultimately falling to Morris for 17 off 109 deliveries.

Morris claimed the last three wickets of the match in a ferocious spell that sent an ominous warning to Victoria of what awaits again next week.

The Vics will return home to Melbourne to regroup before the final, which gets underway on March 31.

They are set to be boosted by the return of opener Marcus Harris and quick Scott Boland for the decider, who will fly back from Pakistan after the conclusion of the Test series tonight.

"I think both Marcus Harris and Scotty Boland will be back for us so we'll be boosted, I don't think Western Australia will change, so they're going to have to play an excellent game because we will be strengthened," Rogers said after the match.

"We'll be happy to remind Western Australia it's been a long time between drinks for them and there's a lot of pressure on Western Australia to not make mistakes because there's probably a lot of expectation about them winning their first Sheffield Shield in 20-odd years.

"We're going to have to play better no doubt ... but we've seen what Western Australia are going to do."

WA on the other hand, who finish the regular season on top of the Shield table, will have largely the same squad to pick from with Mitch Marsh, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green and Ashton Agar staying on for the white-ball leg of the Australian tour.

Jhye Richardson is also sidelined until the end of April with a moderate grade left hamstring tendon strain, with the 25-year-old quick looking to return to action for Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in June, if selected.

Will Pucovski made just 22 and 11 in his first game back from concussion, with his and Harris' return from Pakistan giving Victorian selectors plenty to ponder ahead of the five-day final, with their third opener Travis Dean boasting the highest average of all Shield openers this season.

A win for Western Australia next week would see all three domestic cricket titles heading to Perth after they claimed the Marsh One-Day Cup crown earlier this month and the Scorchers won the KFC BBL|11 title in January.

Morris said hosting the final at the WACA would be a "massive" advantage.

"I think we just play the WACA really well, we always have so the fact that we don't have to get on a plane is pretty good," he said.

"It could be a very special year (winning all three titles) but obviously this one coming is the one that counts the most, we've waited 24 years so just even to the fact that we get to host it at home is huge, we're absolutely stoked."