South Australia face tough chase despite Sayers special
South Australia pacer takes 13 wickets in the match but Larkins 91 leaves them with mountain to climb
ESPNcricinfo staff
03-Nov-2019
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South Australia 245 and 1 for 1 need 297 runs more to beat New South Wales 289 and 253 (Larkin 91, Sayers 5-67)
A handsome 13-wicket match haul for South Australia's dependable spearhead Chadd Sayers still left them facing a steep fourth innings chase ahead of the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.
Figures of 5 for 67 gave Sayers 13 for 131 for the match, the best analysis since Jason Behrendorff's 14 for 89 for Western Australia against Victoria in 2017, and the best at Adelaide Oval or for SA since Paul Rofe scooped 13 for 112, also against New South Wales (NSW), in 2002.
However another sturdy NSW innings, this time anchored by Nick Larkin's 91, meant that the hosts were presented with a chase near enough to 300. At no stage were South Australia able to claim a rapid sequence of wickets, which might have reduced their target to somewhere less than 250.
Left with three overs to survive to the close, South Australia lost Jake Weatherald lbw for the second time in the match, this time to Josh Hazlewood, with the nightwatchman Nick Winter accompanying Henry Hunt to the close.