In the final moments of a Shield match, Jack Edwards has risen to glory for NSW
Match Report: New South Wales win by an innings and 68 runs
ScorecardSkipper Edwards leads NSW to thrilling win over WA
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Jack Edwards has bowled NSW to a thrilling Sheffield Shield win over Western Australia, taking the final wicket with 13 balls to spare.
Edwards claimed his second five-wicket haul of the match on Monday to help the Blues win by an innings and 68 runs, with Western Australia all out for 184.
But while the margin may have sounded as if Edwards had helped the Blues to a comprehensive victory, it was anything but.
Western Australia entered the final session with six wickets in hand, looking likely to hold on for a draw at the SCG.
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But when Edwards inspired a collapse of 4-7, the visitors looked spent with almost 21 overs to survive and only two wickets in hand.
Edwards then had Brody Cough caught behind with 9.1 overs left, leaving Lance Morris and Corey Rocchiccioli with 53 balls to face.
The two tail-enders looked likely to effect Western Australia's great escape, before Rocchiccioli edged Edwards to second slip just before 6pm on the final day to concede defeat.
Jack Edwards has done it! 😲
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2024
NSW have defeated WA in the final hour of the day #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/Dz6Zj7hPEH
NSW's win capped a near perfect performance from Edwards as captain, with the seamer taking 5-41 with both innings.
"Great win, especially with the rain taking time out of the game (on day two)," Edwards said.
"I feel like I've been bowling well this year, and it's nice to get the reward for it.
"It was just about sticking at it. I thought we just had to make them play a bit more. When we did that, we were creating chances."
After Kurtis Patterson's unbeaten 167 allowed NSW to declare at 9-463 overnight and with a lead of 252, wickets fell in clumps on the final day.
Jackson Bird removed Sam Whiteman and Jayden Goodwin in the first session to move to 500 first-class wickets.
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Tanveer Sangha also claimed the crucial wicket of Cameron Bancroft on 48, skidding one on and trapping the opener lbw in the middle session.
A furious Bancroft threw his gloves to the ground in frustration as he crossed the boundary rope, having appeared the man most likely to save Western Australia.
Sangha also spun a ball across Hilton Cartwright to draw his edge and have him caught at slip seven overs later.
But Western Australia were still able to spend the majority of the day looking likely to hold on, before Edwards' late heroics.
NSW had started the day in last place on the ladder headed into the BBL break, but now sit third. Western Australia are fourth.
Sheffield Shield standings 2024-25
| Team | M | W | L | D | N/R | Ded. | Bat | Bowl | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
SA
|
10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7.61 | 9 | 55.61 |
|
2
QLD
|
10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9.06 | 8.7 | 39.76 |
|
3
VIC
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.19 | 9.3 | 39.49 |
|
4
NSW
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6.99 | 8.4 | 36.39 |
|
5
TAS
|
10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7.72 | 8.2 | 35.92 |
|
6
WA
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5.83 | 8.6 | 35.43 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points