Steketee and Neser skittle South Australia to set up Queensland win

The dynamic new-ball duo of Mark Steketee and Michael Neser have kept Queensland in the hunt for the Sheffield Shield final after taking four wickets apiece to rout South Australia and set up a critical five-wicket win at the Gabba inside three days.

Steketee claimed 4 for 34 while Neser bagged 4 for 42 as South Australia lost 10 for 50 in their second innings to be all out for 111, having led Queensland by 43 runs with all second-innings wickets intact during the morning session.

Queensland's fourth-innings chase of 94 was nervy at times. They lost Bryce Street with the score at just 3 and slumped to 76 for 5 before Jack Wildermuth and Jimmy Peirson iced the chase after Sam Heazlett made an important contribution of 26.

Wildermuth also made important early breakthroughs with the ball following South Australia's opening stand of 61 between Jake Carder and Henry Hunt. Carder nailed a pull shot straight to Jack Clayton at square leg before Hunt was given out caught behind four balls later, although he was visibly displeased with the decision.

Neser and Steketee then returned to cause carnage. Neser held a brilliant low return catch to dismiss Nathan McSweeney on the stroke of lunch. After the break, Steketee also claimed Daniel Drew caught and bowled off a leading edge. Seam movement and extra bounce accounted for the rest as Liam Scott was the only other South Australia batter to reach double-figures. The visitors lost their last eight wickets in just 16 overs with Neser bowling unchanged to finish with seven wickets for the match.

He was outdone by Spencer Johnson, though. Johnson bagged a career-best nine for South Australia in just his second Shield appearance and put a scare through Queensland in the chase. He had Street caught behind for a duck in the third over with a cracking delivery that angled in and jagged away off the seam. He also picked up Clayton in the ninth over with extra bounce as the left-hander skied a pull shot. It left Queensland 21 for 2 with 73 still to get but Joe Burns and Heazlett steadied the innings adding 42 before another mini-collapse had the hosts' hearts murmuring.

Wildermuth and Peirson found the last 18 runs without too many issues.

Queensland remain second on the Shield table, just ahead of Victoria on bonus points with one game to play against Tasmania. The loss meant South Australia can't reach the final with one game remaining against New South Wales.