CW 1908/09 (S17), Game 4: Victoria vs South Australia

Victoria vs South Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground
1st-2nd, 4th-6th January 1909

Lineups:
Victoria- TS Warne, C McKenzie, VS Ranford, WW Armstrong, PA McAlister, EV Carroll, GR Hazlitt, LP Vernon, FJ Laver, TJ Hastings, JV Saunders

South Australia- ER Mayne, CE Dolling, C Hill, N Claxton, JH Pellew, DRA Gehrs, LR Hill, JDA O'Connor, WJ Whitty, JRH Woodford, AW Wright


First Innings
South Australia looked to pick up their play for the second half of the season and certainly got off on the right foot despite a disintegrating pitch. Five half-centuries and a century maker sent them up to near 500 runs, and they could have made that milestone without a tailender collapse.

SA 485
JH Pellew 137; LR Hill 67; CE Dolling 66; C Hill 65; ER Mayne 59; N Claxton 56
JV Saunders 4-111; GR Hazlitt 3-120

Victoria couldn't have got much closer in their reply even with three ducks and three single-figure totals. Losing their first three wickets at the 233 mark, they kept some of that momentum going for another big partnership to set the match up for a one inning battle.

SA 485
VIC 484
PA McAlister 129*; TS Warne 117; C McKenzie 109; GR Hazlitt 66
AW Wright 3-88; WJ Whitty 3-128

Second Innings
Another tailending collapse could have been South Australia's undoing as they failed to reach half their first innings score. C Hill and N Claxton had a good partnership going but, aside from them, no-one managed to reach 30 runs.

SA 485 + 239
VIC 484
N Claxton 73; C Hill 63
JV Saunders 5-62

Victoria looked well in control of their own destiny as they put over one hundred on the board before C McKenzie was caught at gully. Wickets did continue to fall, but not at at a fast enough pace for the visitors to make up for their poorer performance.


SA 485 + 239
VIC 484 + 241-6
TS Warne 68; C McKenzie 57
JDA O'Connor 3-60

Victoria wins by four wickets.