NOWRA'S Nic Maddinson and his Victorian side have geared up for next week's Sheffield Shield final in style, securing a confident seven-wicket win over South Australia in Adelaide.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Vics eased to their 167-run victory target before lunch on day four as a winless South Australia ended a forgettable season with a sixth defeat.
The Vics effectively played the match with only four recognised batsmen after electing to field five bowlers with an eye on next week's final, only to lose in-form run-scorer Nic Maddinson to injury on day one.
The final-day win was set up by a 130-run opening stand between Travis Dean (61) and Marcus Harris (65).
Harris' innings was enough to push the Test opener past 1000 runs for the season and finish the regular season narrowly ahead of Tasmania's Matthew Wade as the leading Shield run-scorer.
Victoria resumed on day four at 0/69 and rarely looked troubled. There was a rare failure for young ace Will Pucovski, who failed to get off the mark, but Seb Gotch and Matt Short guided the Vics home.
Victoria have won three and drawn one of their four matches since the mid-season break.
Winners in three of the past four Shield seasons, the Vics will welcome New South Wales for the season decider, starting next Thursday in Melbourne.
