'Quite bizarre': Redbacks bite back after Renshaw clash

South Australia bowling hero Nathan McAndrew has revealed it was a "bizarre" run-in with rival batter Matthew Renshaw earlier in the day that partly explained the euphoric celebrations that followed his team's last-gasp win over Queensland.

McAndrew was named player of the match for his nine wickets in the Redbacks' three-run triumph that was sealed when his fellow fast bowler Jordan Buckingham tilted back the leg stump of Bulls' skipper and century maker, Usman Khawaja, late yesterday.

The decisive moment crowned a stunning comeback during which SA's bowlers captured 8-90 in the final hours – and 4-24 from 30 deliveries with the second new ball – and completed the Redbacks' first Marsh Sheffield Shield win at the Gabba since December 2008.

Upon dismissing Khawaja, who had scored all 19 runs of the defiant last-wicket stand with Mitchell Swepson that seemed set to carry Queensland to victory, Buckingham charged towards the fine leg boundary in triumph and offered a 'shoosh' gesture towards sections of the crowd that had been giving him some grief.

McAndrew indicated today some of the feeling between the teams that spilled over into the unbridled excitement of SA's win stemmed from an incident at the start of Queensland's innings when Renshaw was caught down the leg side for three in the SA quick's second over.

The aspiring Test opener, who was removed for 26 in similar circumstances in the Bulls' first innings when he flicked off his pads and was caught at square leg, walked directly into SA's celebratory huddle on his way back to the dressing room yesterday.

"Matt Renshaw made a pretty interesting decision, the way he tried to walk off the field earlier in the morning," McAndrew told reporters at Adelaide Airport today when asked about the 'spiciness' of the encounter.

"He had a few choice words for us at that point, which was quite bizarre.

"You don't really expect to see that from a batter when he's got out.

"There was no chat before that, so it was an interesting move from him to try and stir that fire up.

"But they who laughs last, laughs loudest."

It is understood the view of the incident from the Queensland camp was that Renshaw had dropped his head in disappointment at getting out as he left the field, and inadvertently bumped into the SA players who then offered their thoughts on the path he should take to the sheds.

The fact Renshaw also spent a couple of seasons playing for Adelaide Strikers in the KFC BBL with a number of current Redbacks before returning to Brisbane Heat might also have proved a factor in the war of words.

But McAndrew was unable to shed light on whether Buckingham's post-game gesture was directed at the Test-capped opener or if lingering animosity from the earlier exchange had provide additional impetus as the Redbacks surged towards the win that lifted them to second on the Shield ladder.

"It adds a bit of fuel to the fire, but at the end of the day you're just trying to win the game regardless of what has occurred or not," he said.

"Jordan Buckingham just came up huge for us there.

"He's as competitive as anybody I've ever met, so it was absolutely no surprise that he was able to come home for us in that moment."

McAndrew, who now sits second on the list of Shield wicket taker for the current summer with 23 at 15 runs apiece, admits he felt SA had blown their chances of securing their second win of the season as Khawaja masterfully manipulated the strike and calmly dwindled the deficit.

With the field spread in a bid to prevent the Test opener picking up boundaries with the target below 20, Khawaja scurried back for a series of twos in addition to threading the ball between fielders to collect a couple of fours.

Fortune seemed on his side when McAndrew struck the left-hander on the pads with 17 runs required and, as the Redbacks bellowed an appeal for lbw, the ball dribbled past the slips cordon and Khawaja ran three to regain the strike as well as inch Queensland closer to victory.

"I was pretty flat after going for that boundary through the slips," McAndrew said, recalling a moment from his subsequent over as Khawaja deftly glided to third man to narrow the requirement to five.

"I thought that lbw off my bowling was pretty out on replay, but when it was given not out I thought it was our last trick done.

"Then Bucky (Buckingham) was able to come up with one more seed for us, so it's an amazing feeling – one of the closest games in the history of the Sheffield Shield."

Installed as leader of the SA attack in the absence of fellow quick Wes Agar (back soreness) at the Gabba, McAndrew stepped up to take 6-41 in Queensland's first innings and then 3-60 in the second from a gruelling 48.1 overs across the match.

It prompted Queensland coach Wade Seccombe to note the 30-year-old "has a big tank", but it's been his potency as much as his stamina that has raised suggestions the New South Wales-born all-rounder might be destined for higher honours.

McAndrew has already earned selection for Australia A squads in both red and white-ball formats, although his recent match returns of 10-61 (against NSW) and now 9-101 (Queensland) after missing the Shield season opener with a calf injury suggests four-day cricket is currently his stronger suit.

However, McAndrew acknowledges his place within the current pecking order of Australia pace bowlers means he's not expecting a call-up for national duties any time soon.

"I'd love to do it, but it's not something I'm particularly looking at to be honest," he said when asked if he aspired to Australia representation.

"I think Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, they haven't had a car crash so they're still who they are.

"And Scott Boland and Michael Neser, there's a long list of fast bowlers in this country.

"I'm just enjoying my cricket at the moment, I'm loving having some individual success but more importantly getting some team wins.

"It just makes it all worthwhile."

Sheffield Shield 2023-24 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Drawn D	No results N/R	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Western Australia Men WA	10	5	2	3	0	0	5.53	9.4	47.93
2 Tasmanian Tigers Men TAS	10	5	2	3	0	0	6.06	8.3	47.36
3 NSW Men NSW	10	4	3	3	0	0	6.31	9	42.31
4 Victoria Men VIC	10	4	4	2	0	0	4.74	8.2	38.94
5 South Australia Men SA	10	3	6	1	0	0	5.19	9.3	33.49
6 Queensland Bulls QLD	10	2	6	2	0	0	3.54	8.3	25.84

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

D: Drawn

N/R: No results

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points