South Australia will need to complete the highest successful fourth-innings chase in Sheffield Shield final history to lift the title
Recent history has SA believing as record chase looms
South Australia's rise to the top of men's domestic cricket this summer has been fuelled in part by coach Ryan Harris's repeated message to his players they can win matches from any position.
That belief faces its sternest challenge as they enter day four of the Sheffield Shield final needing 270 against a resurgent Queensland to secure their first title in 29 years, but it is buttressed by some key moments of the recent past.
The first is the final match of the 2021-22 summer – a game that is viewed as a turning point for the perennial cellar dwellers – when they chased down 326 on the final day against New South Wales at Karen Rolton Oval to secure their first Shield win in more than two years.
The more recent confirmation of Harris's creed came against Victoria at CitiPower Centre earlier this month, where SA secured their home Shield final by scoring 6-300 in the fourth innings despite a rival bowling attack led by Scott Boland, Fergus O'Neill and Todd Murphy.
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Consequently, SA head into the ultimate weekend of a summer in which they've already landed their first One Day Cup title in more than a decade convinced they can post the largest successful fourth-innings chase in Shield final history.
"We chased 300 a couple of weeks back on a wicket that was nipping and doing a lot more than this wicket was, so we're all pretty confident in there," vice-captain Ben Manenti said at the close of a remarkable day three.
"We knew that Queensland weren't going to roll over today … but we've believed all season we can win from anywhere and this certainly isn't the furthest we've been behind a game, if we're behind at all.
"So we're pretty happy."
SA were decidedly more upbeat at lunch on day three as the Bulls slumped to 6-221 and just 45 runs ahead before centuries to Jack Clayton and Jack Wildermuth, along with an assured 51 from tailender Mark Steketee, blew out their total to 445.
It means SA need to surpass the previous best successful fourth-innings chase in a Shield final – Victoria's 2-239 at the MCG in 1991 – to secure their first title since 1995-96.
But another factor that buoys SA spirits, which surely flagged during two tough sessions bowling on a flat, abrasive Karen Rolton Oval pitch that rendered the new ball soft after just a dozen overs, is the inclusion in their line-up of Test keeper-batter Alex Carey.
Not only was Carey absent when they chased down their final-day total against Victoria recently, he oversaw a similar victory pursuit at Test level a year ago when his unbeaten 98 saw Australia reel in New Zealand's target of 281 at Christchurch after finding themselves 5-80.
Carey's return to state cricket at the end of a long international summer is the result of his burning wish to be part of an SA Shield-winning outfit after playing in two losing finals, and Manenti claims his calming influence on the team has proved crucial.
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"We've got a few boys that like to get emotional and get fired up, and Kez (Carey) is really good at keeping us calm and staying in the moment and trying to take the scoreboard out of it," Manenti said.
"That's what we tried to do (Friday) when some of the Queensland boys got going.
"We know the run rate here (at KRO) is often towards three and half, four (runs per over) so, when it does get to that, don't panic.
"Just stay calm and keep doing what we've done all year to get us here."
So coarse and hard is the centre wicket block at the venue that hosted the full dress rehearsal game between the eventual Shield finalists less than a fortnight ago, Queensland know striking with the new ball early on day four will be vital.
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Manenti confirmed SA expect Queensland's 19-year-old pace sensation Callum Vidler to pepper their batters with bouncers, while Steketee and fellow veteran Michael Neser will utilise conventional swing then reverse version once the ball scuffs up.
But even though only two wickets have fallen to spin across the first three days of the game, with SA quick Brendan Doggett's 11-140 the best match figures recorded in a Shield final, Test-capped leggie Mitchell Swepson also looms as a Bulls' trump card.
"There's also a couple of footmarks outside a left-hander's off stump and we've got a world-class spinner in Mitch Swepson in our team," Clayton said after day three.
"So hopefully we can get him into the game, and get a few lefties out maybe."
Manenti sent down 15 overs of off-breaks for his 1-38 on day three and acknowledges Swepson might pose some questions for SA's top-order left-handers Carey, Conor McInerney and Jake Lehmann.
"There's a little bit of ruff really wide," Manenti said of the Rolton drop-in pitch which yielded 7-268 from 82 overs on day three.
"I think it's out of play to the right-handers, it might be for the lefties and we've got three lefties up the top but if we do well, hopefully Sweppo (Swepson) has a lot of overs to bowl.
"He's a classy bowler, we'll have to be sharp around all their bowlers tomorrow.
"But we've got a lot of overs in their legs in the last 14 days, so that's something we can touch upon if we get through that 15 to 20-over block in the morning unscathed.
"Then it will be nice batting, and I know a lot of the boys are hungry to be the one to stand up and win the game."
The fact Queensland are in a position to push for their first Shield title since 2020-21 is an extraordinary feat after being rolled for the lowest-ever first innings score in a Shield final (95) and needing to overcome the largest first-innings deficit (176) to claim victory in a decider.
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However, having scraped into the play-off on the back of bonus points gained in the previous game against SA, then clawed their way back into the contest thanks to some lower-order batting heroics, they are understandably eyeing a most unlikely triumph.
"This has been one of the craziest Shield games I've ever played in," Clayton said at the close of day three.
"Got bowled out for 95 in the first innings which wasn't ideal, then I thought we actually bowled really well in their (SA's) first innings.
"We're pretty proud of the work we've done today but by no means are we satisfied or think that we've got the job done.
"We've got a lot of work to do (on Saturday) to hopefully hold up the Shield at the end of the day."
Sheffield Shield final 2024-25
March 26-30 (10.35am ACDT): South Australia v Queensland, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
The Sheffield Shield final will be broadcast live on Foxtel, Kayo Sports, cricket.com.au and the CA Live app
Squads
South Australia: Nathan McSweeney (c), Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton
Queensland: Marnus Labuschagne (c), Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Jack Wildermuth