Bancroft misses out again as WA win Shield final rematch

Cameron Bancroft's push for Test selection is threatening to come unstuck after the opener was again dismissed cheaply in WA's six-wicket Sheffield Shield defeat of Tasmania.

After sub-par showings from Test rivals Marcus Harris and Sam Konstas in their own Shield fixtures this week, Bancroft looked set for the chance to bat WA to victory on day four at the WACA Ground and finish the week as Australia's form opening option.

The 10-time Test player, one of the Shield's most prolific run-scorers in recent years, had already been singled out by chief selector George Bailey as a leading candidate to replace the injured Cameron Green in the XI for the five-Test series with India.

But as his side chased only 83 runs for victory on Wednesday, Bancroft (two from 16 deliveries) holed out to Kieran Elliott, who ran to take a screamer of a catch at fine leg during the first session.

Bancroft lasted only two-and-a-half overs and has now managed just 10 runs from four Shield innings this summer for a meagre average of 2.5.

It will have been cold comfort for the 31-year-old that WA (332, 4-83) reported similar batting struggles to their Tasmanian rivals (277, 137), who were all out earlier in the day.

Bancroft's would-be Test teammate Mitch Marsh continued the trend of Australia's incumbent players struggling with the bat to begin the summer.

Marsh clipped Elliott to Charlie Wakim at third slip for a run-a-ball six, before fellow allrounder Aaron Hardie was also caught behind from the same paceman.

Elliott (3-22) left WA in serious danger, at 4-18, of butchering their simple run chase before Josh Inglis (26no off 36) and Hilton Cartwright (39no off 50) forged the winning partnership.

Inglis, who scored a game-defining century in the first innings, hit the first boundary after the collapse to instil some confidence in the hosts.

Only hours after Greg Shipperd declared him a "smoky" for the Test opening spot, Inglis hit the winning runs to long-off from Matt Kuhnemann's bowling.

After tensions threatened to boil over on day three, umpires again needed to intervene as Cartwright and Tasmania's Jake Weatherald exchanged words on day four.

Weatherald spoke to Cartwright as he walked out to replace Bancroft, with play stopping only one delivery later for the umpires to address both men.

Cartwright had been permitted to return to the crease on day three after retiring the day prior to attend the birth of his child.

Sheffield Shield standings 2024-25

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 South Australia Men SA	6	3	1	2	0	0	4.63	5.3	29.93
2 Victoria Men VIC	6	3	2	1	0	0	3.76	5.3	28.06
3 NSW Men NSW	6	2	2	2	0	0	5.5	4.7	24.2
4 Western Australia Men WA	6	2	2	2	0	0	5.11	4.8	23.91
5 Queensland Bulls QLD	6	1	2	3	0	0	4.71	5.6	19.31
6 Tasmanian Tigers Men TAS	6	1	3	2	0	0	6.05	4.6	18.65

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