Lehmann gives SA a chance of improbable win

South Australia 129 (Flower 44,Nicholson 5-36) and 3 for 339 (Lehmann 149*, Manou 130) trail New South Wales 9 for 350 decl. and 4 for 299 dec. (Mail 152*, Phelps 62) by 182 runs
Scorecard

Darren Lehmann returned to his cavalier best at the expense of Stuart MacGill as South Australia launched an audacious bid for a history-defying outright win over New South Wales in the Pura Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Lehmann, anxiously awaiting the naming of the squad to tour Sri Lanka tomorrow, belted 28 runs from eight MacGill deliveries - and kept dishing out the punishment thereafter - to help himself to a timely 149 not out.

Set a seemingly impossible 521 runs for victory after New South Wales declared their second innings on 4 for 299 - and falling to 1 for 7 almost immediately - South Australia somehow conjured up a serious challenge to be 3 for 339 at stumps - just 182 runs shy of snatching an incredible result. No Australian domestic side has ever chased so many runs and won a Sheffield Shield or Pura Cup match, the existing record being South Australia's 6 for 506 to beat Queensland in 1991-92.

Lehmann's 210-run partnership from 223 balls with Graham Manou (130), including 174 runs in a frantic middle session, turned the game on its head and ruined MacGill's figures, leaving him with an unflattering 0 for 118 from 18 overs. It got worse for him, when Shane Warne, his rival for a Test spot, took 4 for 51 in Victoria's outright defeat of Tasmania.

MacGill dismissed Lehmann twice in three balls earlier in the week with long hops, but had no such luck today as Lehmann and Manou caned him all over the park. Lehmann hit MacGill for two sixes and four fours in eight balls to virtually seal his selection for Sri Lanka. MacGill and Warne too should be in the squad, setting up an intriguing battle to make the Test XI.

New South Wales paid dearly for MacGill dropping Manou on 4, and Mark Waugh spilling a chance from Lehmann on 90. Andy Flower (21 not out) was also given a life just before stumps.

Earlier, Greg Mail finished 152 not out - following up his 128 in the first innings - to become only the third NSW player to score a hundred and a 150 in the same Shield or Pura Cup game. Monty Noble did it in 1907/08, and Mark Taylor in 1988-89.

Matthew Nicholson also continued to impress, picking up a quick wicket in the SA second innings, having Ben Cameron caught by Mark Waugh at second slip. An outright win for NSW appeared at that stage to be a fait accompli. But by stumps, the tables were turned.