Weatherald twin tons lift SA in Perth

Emerging star Jake Weatherald has buried his WACA demons with twin centuries to guide South Australia to an impressive five-wicket Sheffield Shield victory over Western Australia.

Chasing 325 in scorching 35-degree heat in Perth, the Redbacks reached the victory target with 19.2 overs to spare on Thursday's final day.

Weatherald, who scored 152 in South Australia's first dig, made 143 in the second before being bowled with just seven more runs required.

Callum Ferguson (88) also played a crucial role, combining with Weatherald for a 180-run partnership.

It was the Redbacks' highest successful Shield chase at the WACA Ground, bettering the 8-291 they posted in 1974/75.

Weatherald had scored three ducks in the past two seasons at the WACA, but he defied that history and the widening cracks to produce the second and third centuries of his first-class career.

"It wasn't a very happy hunting ground for me. But luckily, they didn't have any left-handers this time around," Weatherald said with a laugh.

"I'm a bit more mature as well now.

"It gives you a lot of time to reflect when you nick off pretty early in a game, so you get a lot of time to think about how you can do it differently next time."

Weatherald entered the match with a first-class average of 33.16 and just one century to his name.

But he boosted his average to 40.09 with his WACA heroics.

WA captain Mitch Marsh predicted the wide cracks in the pitch would give his team a major advantage on the final day.

But the bowlers struggled to make the most of it, apart from an Andrew Holder deliver that hit an opening and nipped back sharply to trap Ferguson lbw.

"Today, the pitch didn't do as much as we thought it would," Marsh said.

"Defending 320 on the last day, you're always in the box seat.

"But Jake Weatherald stole the game away from us, and Ferguson with that partnership.

"I can't fault our bowlers' efforts. They toiled hard all day. But at the end of the day, we were beaten by a better side."

WA scored 7(dec)-514 in the first innings.

But Marsh said their second-innings total of 173 was what ultimately cost them the game.

The win lifts South Australia to third on the Shield table, with WA only marginally behind them.