Whiteman tons up as Connolly makes remarkable entrance

Sam Whiteman made up for the absence of the other half of Western Australia's most prolific opening duo with a sparkling century on day one of the Marsh Sheffield Shield final against Tasmania, as Cooper Connolly made another remarkable entrance in a do-or-die match.

Deprived of his dependable partner Cameron Bancroft due to a pushbike bingle that hospitalised the ex-Test opener days out from the five-day decider at the WACA Ground, Whiteman (104 from 154 balls) surged to his third ton of the season to kick-start his side's push for a third consecutive first-class crown.

That came before Connolly, making his first-class debut a year on from his BBL|12 final heroics at nearby Optus Stadium where he made a match-winning 11-ball 25, struck an equally nerveless 73no to steer WA to 8-325 at stumps.

The Tigers stayed in the contest thanks to the unlikely first-day efforts of off-spinner Jarrod Freeman (3-103), who found turn on a pitch that had sufficient moisture beneath its surface and enough grass on top to prompt visiting captain Jordan Silk to insert WA.

But 20-year-old Connolly's counter-punching hand meant the home side will be the more content of the two finalists, with WA also currently ahead (1.25 to 0.8) on the first-innings bonus-point metric that will decide the victor in the event of a draw.

The absence of Bancroft had loomed as a major blow for the reigning champions' three-peat tilt, with his ability to negate the new ball in a seamer-dominated season a big factor in WA topping the table for a third straight Shield campaign.

The right-hander had piled on more runs this season (778 at 48.62) than all bar Tassie standout Beau Webster (914 at 65.28), while he and Whiteman recently went past Mike Veletta and Geoff Marsh's record for the most runs as a WA opening pair.

But WA captain Whiteman led from the front on Thursday, stroking 16 boundaries as he and Bancroft's replacement D'Arcy Short (50 off 127) made Tasmania pay for a poor start with the ball in a 110-run first-wicket union.

Evident in Connolly, the state's 'next man up' culture shone through also in Short, who was called in for just his second match for the season and his first as opener in four-and-a-half years.

Freeman, the unassuming 23-year-old who is affectionately nicknamed 'Froggy', clean bowled star allrounder Aaron Hardie for a third-ball duck on the last ball before the tea break in a collapse of 4-60 that took the edge off the promising platform laid by the WA openers.

Hilton Cartwright (55 off 63) struck two sixes off Freeman before he too came under the crafty right-armer's spell when he holed out to long-on attempting to clear the rope again.

Tasmania's other main threat with the ball was fifth-gamer Iain Carlisle (2-64), who bounced back from his side's ropey start to trap Whiteman lbw from around the wicket with an in-swinger before having dangerman Josh Inglis caught in gully.

Inglis had been put down in that same position by Charlie Wakim an over earlier and while the Tigers were lucky it did not cost them more, the same could not be said earlier in the day when Caleb Jewell put down Short on 13 at first slip.

It came in a first hour of the match that Tasmania may live to regret, bowling poorly in helpful conditions to allow the hosts to swan through the opening session.

Gabe Bell, who has led the Tigers attack admirably this season following the departures of Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle, eventually had Short caught behind after lunch before Jewell made up for his earlier mistake by pouching Jayden Goodwin (2) off Freeman.

The importance of Hardie's subsequent early exit was not lost on Silk's men given the allrounder made an unbeaten 174 in the first of WA's two consecutive Shield final victories in 2022, when Whiteman also tonned up in a player-of-the-match effort.

Webster, having sent down 15 overs of his medium pace for no reward, needed just five balls trying his hand at his auxiliary bowling skill (off-spin) to dismiss Joel Paris (6) late in the day.

And while Charlie Stobo (6) succumbed to Riley Meredith (1-53) after the second new ball was taken, Connolly stood firm along with Cameron Gannon (10no) to have the former eyeing a dream maiden century on Friday.

The Marsh Sheffield Shield final will be broadcast live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports, as well as live streamed free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app.

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