ADELAIDE: South Australia claimed their first Sheffield Shield title in 29 years after hundreds by Jason Sangha and Alex Carey helped them pull off a record chase in the final against Queensland on Saturday.

Sangha smashed an unbeaten 126 and forged a 202-run stand with Australia test wicketkeeper Carey (105) to secure their four-wicket victory on a flat Karen Rolton Oval pitch.

The match was shifted to a smaller venue after Australian Rules team the Adelaide Crows refused South Australia permission to host the Shield final at Adelaide Oval.

Chasing 270 for victory, South Australia slumped to 3-28 but Sangha and Carey combined in a massive fourth wicket stand to guide them towards victory.

Sangha got a reprieve on 13 when Ben McDermott spilled him at second slip and the batter, in his first season with the side, did not look back after that.

Queensland skipper Marnus Labuschagne packed the off-side with eight fielders and asked Jack Wildermuth to bowl short outside the off-stump but the ploy did not work.

Carey departed chopping a Mark Steketee delivery onto his stumps but Sangha stayed put to hit the winning runs triggering wild celebrations.

The highest successful chase in the final also helped South Australia complete the Shield and One-Day Cup double for the first time under captain Nathan McSweeney and coach Ryan Harris.

It was South Australia’s 14th title and first since 1995-96. South Australia had finished in the bottom rung of the Shield table in each of the previous seven seasons.

South Australia had an early stranglehold of the five-day decider after taking advantage of favourable seam-bowling conditions to rout Queensland for just 95 in their first innings.

Quick Brendan Doggett, who was part of Australia’s Test squad during the recent series against India, claimed 6-31 as Queensland slumped to the third-lowest total in a Shield final.

South Australia gained a 176-run first-innings lead after Jake Lehmann, the son of former Test batsman and ex-Australia coach Darren Lehmann, top-scored with 102 from 151 balls.

Queensland appeared set for a hefty defeat before second-innings centuries from Jack Clayton and Jack Wildermuth revived their chances.

But Doggett, who was part of Queensland’s last title-winning team in 2021, took

another five-wicket haul to limit Queensland’s lead as the surface flattened under the baking sun.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2025