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NSW claim last session Shield win over SA

Glenn CullenAAP
Sean Abbott was named man of the match as NSW scored an unlikely win over SA in the Shield.
Camera IconSean Abbott was named man of the match as NSW scored an unlikely win over SA in the Shield.

South Australia made NSW an offer too good to refuse, the classy Blues line-up getting it right when it mattered to secure a six-wicket Sheffield Shield win with 11 balls to spare.

Set 295 runs from 72 overs, the visitors did it in style at Adelaide Oval despite being behind the eight-ball for much of the match.

Moises Henriques (78 not out) and Sean Abbott (83) hit out superbly in the final session, almost getting the job done with their 140-run partnership.

Abbott was bowled with just two runs required but it mattered little for an XI with eight Australian representatives in one form or another.

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Henriques then slapped a boundary straight down the ground to lock in their third victory of the season.

Nick Larkin (22) and David Warner (69) had set a solid early pace before both were out to forgettable shots trying to lift the scoring further.

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Larkin mistimed a pull from part-time spinner Travis Head (1-29) to be caught at mid-on while Warner, after being tied down briefly by debutant spinner Joe Medew-Ewen (1-60), was pouched in similar circumstances at mid-wicket.

First innings centurion Kurtis Patterson (36) was then bowled by Chadd Sayers (1-59), giving the Redbacks some hope of getting back into the contest.

But Henriques, with the elevated and very much in-form Abbott, took the South Australian attack apart.

Henriques now has 633 runs at 70 for the season while man-of-the-match Abbott, renowned much more for his bowling, has 525 runs at 75.

The quick had also struck 71 in the first innings but wasn't getting carried away despite his exceptional form with the willow.

"I've been working hard on my batting for a number of years now and you're probably just starting to see the rewards from that," Abbott said.

"But I've been the beneficiary of some pretty flat conditions and some tired bowlers."

Earlier, the home side had made a match of it by declaring their second innings shortly before lunch at 6-178, an overall lead of 294 runs.

Jake Lehmann was not out on 35 with Chadd Sayers (12) the other undefeated batsman.

"We did drive the game for the most part and set the game up ... it did create opportunities, we just weren't able to grab those," SA coach Jason Gillespie said.

Nathan Lyon was the pick of the bowlers with 2-44 while Test teammate Mitchell Starc, who at one stage had figures of 2-0, finished with 2-55.

NSW had declared 116 runs behind in their first innings.

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