Triple-double! WA make history with third straight Shield crown

Western Australia have surged to a history-making triple-double of domestic titles after Tasmania crumbled in the fourth day's final session to confirm a mammoth 377-run defeat at the WACA Ground.  

Joel Paris took a hanger in the gully to give Cameron Gannon his fifth wicket of the innings as the Tigers were skittled for just 160 with around 10 minutes of play left on Sunday.

Tasmania had been set a nominal 538 to win from the game's final four sessions but lasted just one as WA's three-peat of first-class crowns was achieved with a day to spare.

The visitors' meek surrender belied the team's vast improvements under skipper Jordan Silk, who top-scored with 46 as his team were bundled out inside just 41 overs.

But the moment belonged to the Western Australians, who celebrated their third successive season of claiming both the four- and one-day men's domestic titles with gusto.

It's the first time that's ever been achieved, further enhancing WA's reputation as the standout state in Australian cricket.

"You have been the benchmark team for the last three seasons and you fully deserve this one too," Silk said of his opponents at the post-match presentation.

Their skipper for their last two Shield titles, Sam Whiteman, was named player of the match for his first-innings 104.

"It's just pleasing to step up in big games," said Whiteman, who also tonned up in the 2021-22 Shield final. "It means a hell of a lot to this group and I'm very lucky to be a part of it."

After Whiteman also led WA to a hat-trick of 50-over Marsh Cup titles in Sydney last month, this latest first-class crown will mean they will have won eight of the last nine men's domestic trophies with Perth Scorchers having also taken out the preceding two KFC BBL championships in 2022 and 2023.

Adam Voges has been coach for all eight titles.

"What an incredible bunch of people," said Voges.

"To our players - you've done everything we've asked of you this year. You continue to push each other, you continue to strive to get better, but mainly you continue to believe in each other and you keep doing the little things.

"When you get a bunch of people who can do that day-in, day-out, you can make special things happen."

After Hilton Cartwright (94) and the hosts' dogged lower order all but batted the Tigers out of the game early on day four, WA's star new-ball pair Gannon (5-23) and Paris (1-39) left the visitors reeling at 3-26.

But Paris' most memorable contribution was his last, as he dived full length to his right off an Iain Carlisle edge to seal the win and spark joyous celebrations.  

Gannon's haul also included dismissing Matthew Wade (3) for single figures for the second time in the match in what the veteran has confirmed will be his final first-class outing.

Silk threatened to send the game into a fifth day before Josh Inglis took a sharp catch off a thin edge induced by Charlie Stobo.

The Tigers' grit that had got them to the decider deserted them as their inevitable defeat neared, with both Jake Doran (31) and the competition's leading run-scorer Beau Webster (19) skying straightforward catches.   

The latter came in a Gannon over that saw him claim two wickets in three balls, while off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli (3-55) took his match wicket tally to seven and put WA within striking distance of victory.

The 161-run first-innings advantage taken by WA meant Tasmania had faced a momentous challenge to fight their way back into the contest, with Cartwright's 206-ball knock backed up by contributions from tail-enders Gannon (42) and Paris (26).

Resuming play with his side only three wickets down and holding a 382-run lead, Cartwright continued a strong match with the bat as he pushed towards a century but Beau Webster was determined to keep his side in the hunt.

The Sheffield Shield's player-of-the-season took a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Cartwright's partner Aaron Hardie (for 46) before the normally rock-solid slipper put down a sitter at second slip off Cooper Connolly.

It came in an extraordinary passage of play for Webster who was directly involved in all but two of the seven WA wickets to fall on day four and was denied another in head-scratching fashion.

After Inglis nicked off to Gabe Bell armed with the second new ball, Webster made up for his fumble by catching Connolly in the exact same spot before then rattling Cartwright's off-stump with his medium pace only for both bails to somehow remain in place.

Never mind, the towering right-armer seamed another back into Cartwright to trap him lbw six runs short of a century, before ending a pesky 42-run ninth-wicket stand by catching Paris in the gully.

He then switched to off-spin and trapped Gannon lbw for 42, his fourth wicket for the match.

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