Reigning champs seal tense win as Ashes hopeful stuns Aussie stars: Shield Wrap

Reigning champions South Australia have secured their first victory of the Sheffield Shield season, chasing a 217-run target to seal a tense three-wicket win against Tasmania in Hobart.

The Redbacks were seemingly in a spot of bother at 5-88 following the dismissals of Test stars Travis Head and Alex Carey – both removed by all-rounder Beau Webster – but all-rounders Liam Scott (53) and Ben Manenti (49*) held their nerve to rescue the tourists, combining for a 71-run partnership.

Earlier, Tigers seamer Gabe Bell snared two early wickets, removing opener Henry Hunt and No. 3 Jason Sangha each for a duck, finishing with figures of 3-59. Webster, fighting to keep his spot in the Test side, also claimed three wickets having taken a five-fa in the first innings.

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Elsewhere in the Sheffield Shield, Victoria extended their winning streak to four matches after thumping a star-studded New South Wales at the SCG by 300 runs.

Chasing a 426-run target for victory, the Blues were rolled for 125 in 39.4 overs, with seamer Sam Elliot taking three wickets on a volatile deck. Smith, who also struck a half-century in the first innings, finished unbeaten on 56.

Earlier, NSW seamer Sean Abbott has ripped the heart out of Victoria’s top order in a damaging spell before the Blues were struck down by a double injury blow.

The 33-year-old claimed three early wickets as the tourists collapsed from 2-63 to 5-65, including the dismissals of nightwatcher Todd Murphy and first-innings centurion Peter Handscomb. All three wickets were bowled, including a chop-on for Victorian young gun Oliver Peake, with the Kookaburra showing signs of variable bounce on the unpredictable surface.

However, Abbott and fellow Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood were both sent for scans on hamstring concerns, putting them under an injury cloud ahead of the first Ashes Test against England.

Victoria later declared on 9-171, only needing eight wickets in the fourth innings due to seal the win.

Across in Perth, Queensland was bowled out for 390 against Western Australian at the WACA, with young gun Lachlan Hearne and bowler Xavier Bartlett each cracking fifties. The hosts were 0-47 in the 18th over in response.

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