Lance Morris took four wickets and Joel Paris three as WA routed Victoria inside three days. The teams will meet again next week in the first final at the WACA in 24 years.
Western Australia 337 (Cartwright 109, Whiteman 63) beat Victoria 114 (Hardie 4-24) & 172 (Morris (4-55) by an innings and 51 runs
Western Australia have secured hosting rights for the Sheffield Shield final for the first time in 24 years after hammering Victoria inside three days at the WACA.
Victoria will need to lift in all areas of the game to challenge WA after being rolled for 114 and 172, while the hosts looked far more assured at the crease posting 337.
Victoria resumed day three at 5 for 82 – still needing 141 runs to even make WA bat again – although they found stability from Matt Short (35), while Sam Harper made a particularly patient 17 off 109 balls before he nicked Morris through to the keeper.
The Vics made it to lunch but their resistance would end quickly after, with Morris (4-55) and Paris (3-31) doing the damage.
He was well helped by opener Sam Whiteman’s 63, while nightwatchman Matthew Kelly looked the goods up the order blasting 41 off 51 balls.
Victoria will also hope they can find more from luckless Test batter Will Pucovski, who made 22 and 11 on his return from his latest concussion.
WA and Victoria last met in a Shield final in 2014-15 at a neutral venue in Hobart, which was the last final WA played in. WA hasn’t hosted a final since 1997-98 or won a Sheffield Shield since 1998-99.
