All-round Manenti gives South Australia chance of victory

AAP

03-Nov-2024 • 18 hrs ago

Victoria 232 (Harper 89, Manenti 5-73, Conway 4-39) and 9 for 0 need 337 more runs to beat South Australia 307 and 270 for 8 (Manenti 62*, Lehmann 60, Siddle 4-63)

Offspinning allrounder Ben Manenti starred with bat and ball to leave South Australia well placed heading into the final day of the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria in Adelaide.

Victoria’s openers got through six overs unscarred, requiring a further 337 runs for victory. South Australia were able to declare late in the day and set Victoria a challenging 346-run victory target thanks to some typically lusty hitting from Manenti.

Three huge sixes highlighted Manenti’s 62 not out from 71 balls.Coming to the crease with the home side having lost 3 fpr 4 and looking wobbly at 176 for 6, Manenti top-scored for his side having also completed career-best bowling figures of 5 for 73 earlier in the day.

Victoria resumed on day three at 195 for 7, with Manenti having picked up four top-order wickets. But it was Harry Conway who claimed the most important dismissal during the morning session in dismissing Sam Harper.

The wicketkeeper revived Victoria’s innings on day two and, after resuming on 68, had reached 89 when trapped lbw by Conway. He earlier knocked over Peter Siddle and Manenti ended the innings by bowling Doug Warren to leave Victoria with a 75-run first innings deficit.

South Australia’s turn at the crease began with Henry Hunt caught behind without scoring for a second successive second innings duck for the otherwise heavy-scoring opener.

Conversely Jake Lehmann posted a well-compiled 60 having been dismissed for a duck in the first innings. There were runs also for in-form Alex Carey, with the Test gloveman now boasting a Shield average of 88 after three matches of the season.

Veteran paceman Siddle was the best of the Victorian bowlers for the second time in the match with 4 for 63, while rookie spinner Warren returned 3 for 74.