Both South Australia and Victoria go into this vital Sheffield Shield clash seeking outright points if they are to host this seasons Sheffield Shield Final.
South Australia welcome back Greg Blewett who has made nearly 1,200 first class runs this season, while Victoria look forward to the return of last years prolific run scorer, Laurie Harper back after a seriously knee injury threatened to curtail his promising career
Jason Gillespie is also returning from injury and will be keen to press his claims for selection for the West Indies tour, the team being announced on Monday.
Sadly Paul Reiffel is out again with groin problems and that all but rules out his chances of being selected to tour the Caribbean.
Teams South Australia: *GS Blewett, DA Fitzgerald, GR Parker, JD Siddons, JM Vaughan, BA Johnson, +TJ Nielsen, BE Young, BA Swain, JN Gillespie, MA Harrity & DP Waugh (likely 12th man). Victoria: *+DS Berry, JL Arnberger, MTG Elliott, LD Harper, BJ Hodge, SAJ Craig, IJ Harvey, DJ Saker, JM Davison, MWH Inness, APS Robertson, MP Mott (likely 12th man).
Despite the loss of an early wicket Victoria have lunched well against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval.
The Bushrangers are 1/73 with Matthew Elliott looking good on 42 and Laurie Harper not out on 27.
After winning the toss the visitors lost Jason Arnberger to the fourth ball of the first over, as he edged a fired up Jason Gillespie to 'keeper Tim Nielsen without scoring.
Harper suffered a few nervous moments early before starting to play with his normal flair through the off side. Elliott has been keen to take the iniative driving fluently through the off side.
Jason Gillespie bowled a very fiery opening spell of eight overs 1/16 and had both batsmen playing and missing.
Sadly for South Australia, Mark Harrity left the field after bowling five overs, with back trouble, a problem which hindered him bowling in the second innings in Brisbane a fortnight ago.
South Australia do well in hot conditions
In hot conditions on a flat pitch South Australia have the upper hand versus Victoria at the Adelaide Oval.
After Victoria won the toss and batted they are 4/158 at tea, with Brad Hodge holding together the Bushrangers middle order with an unbeaten 40 not out.
In the middle session Victoria added 85 runs for the loss of Laurie Harper (41) well held in the slips off Jason Gillespie, Matthew Elliott (54) to change bowler Ben Johnson and then twenty minutes before tea, left hander Shaun Craig became Gillespie's third victim when he caught at slip off the tall quick for five.
Gillespie has bowled off a shortish run with plenty of pace and fire to have three for 38 off 17 overs.
Mark Harrity has spent most of the second off the field with a reaccurance of a back injury.
Jason Gillespie fires Victoria for 214
The return of speedster Jason Gillespie to the South Australian ranks has seen South Australia take the honours after day one of the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the Adelaide Oval.
Gillespie took 4/42 from 18 overs as Victoria were bundled out for just 214 after winning the toss and batting on a hot and sultry day. Gillespie struck early having Jason Arnberger (0) caught by Tim Nielsen in the match's opening over and returned after lunch to bowl a decisive spell, where he took the wickets of Laurie Harper (41) and Shaun Craig (5), to put Victoria 4/146 just before tea.
The major scalp of the day was picked up by part timer Ben Johnson who got Matthew Elliott (54) caught at slip just when the left hander looked set to get on top of the bowling. Elliott batted for nearly three hours and hit four boundaries.
After tea the Victorian middle order capitulated, with Ian Harvey (15) holing out to cover, Darren Berry (9) trapped in front attempting to sweep Brad Young and Brad Hodge, after two and bit hours of resistance edging Johnson to slip for a well made 54.
Johnson ended with three for 29 from nine steady overs, filling in well for the injured Mark Harrity who got through just five overs in the morning session after having sustained a reaccurance of a back injury.
After the skipper Blewett chimed in the pick up Davison (4), the new ball accounted for the tail as the Vics were all out just after five o'clock.
A fine day for Blewett was ruined as he drove at David Saker to be well held by Matthew Elliott in the fifth over for just 5, his first single figure score in a first class match this season.
Saker bowled well in his eight overs and it will he who has to pick up some early breakthroughs tomorrow if Victoria are to wrench first innings points off a keen homeside.
Attendance: 547
South Australia recover after early wickets
After the loss of two early wickets, South Australia have gone to lunch at 3/103 - just 109 in arrears on Victoria's first innings of 214.
Before a ball had even been bowled today Geoff Parker who had not out overnight on nine, was forced to retire ill, as he had been vomiting all the previous evening and this morning.
His replacement at the crease Jamie Siddons started the day in good fashion with a couple of early boundaries before David Saker induced a false stroke and Matthew Elliott held the catch at second slip.
In the next over, David Fitzgerald who had looked good apart from an inside edged drive when 19, played a loose stroke at a wide one from Inness and suddenly SA were 3/51, or effectively 4/51 given Parker's illness.
Ben Johnson came to the crease and immediately off drove Inness for three and played positively, while Jeff Vaughan concentrated mainly on defence as the pair tried to rebuild the innings.
After the unbeaten fifty stand was raised, lunch was taken with Johnson on 29 and Vaughan on 23.
Saker had toiled well on another very hot day to have 2/25 from 16 overs.
Victoria set for first innings points
Tight bowling by Victoria and ordinary batting by South Australia has seen South Australia collapse at the Adelaide Oval in the lunch to tea session
At tea, SA are 7/152 still needing 63 for first innings points with Jason Gillespie not out 1 and Brett Swain on 2.
Sadly for South Australia the partnership of 62 for the fourth wicket was broken by David Saker who got Ben Johnson to drag a short ball on to off stump for 36.
Four overs later Ashley Robertson picked up his first wicket, trapping Tim Nielsen in front for a duck and suddenly SA were five or effectively six for 117.
While this was going on Jeff Vaughan was heading for a well deserved half century, but unfortunately after a stand of 30 for the sixth wicket he edged the irrespressable Ian Harvey to Darren Berry after three hours for his 42.
Then Bradley Young, who had ground out a patient 19, tried his favourite cut shot to John Davison and he provided Berry with his third victim, SA 7/149.
A dismal batting display by South Australia has put Victoria on top after two days of the Sheffield Shield match at the Adelaide Oval.
After resuming on 1/25, South Australia capitulated for just 174 shortly after tea. For the second consecutive first class innings no batsman could make 50 as only Jeff Vaughan (42) and Ben Johnson (36) showed much fight out in the middle with the bat.
Victoria have lost Jason Arnberger (5) and Matthew Elliott (25) in their second innings to be 2/60 at the close - an overall lead of 100.
The homeside had the misfortune early in the day to lose overnight not out batsman Geoff Parker who had to retire ill as he was indiposed today after a night of vomitting and sickness.
Jamie Siddons replaced him and looked in good touch early hitting two early boundaries before David Saker from around the wicket inducing an edge to second slip. Siddons went for 10 and SA were a fragile 2/45 in the ninth over of the morning.
In the next over, David Fitzgerald (25) attempted an airy drive at left armer Matthew Inness and edged to 'keeper Berry to make SA in further strife at 3/51.
Ben Johnson and Jeff Vaughan were joined together in a "sink or swim" partnership and the two formed a good union with Johnson driving well and Vaughan content to push the singles and work the ball off his pads.
The two saw things to a lunch score of 3/103 but then after the break, Johnson who had batted well for his 36, dragged Saker on his stumps and SA were again struggling at 4/113.
Sadly Tim Nielsen offered little resistance being trapped in front by Ashley Robertson for a duck and first innings points looked a long way away at 5/117.
Brad Young joined the patient Vaughan and these two nearly made it to the tea break, but Vaughan, after three hours of solid resistance, edged Harvey to Berry and SA were 6/147. Vaughan faced 126 balls and hit three fours.
Young's innings came to an end ten minutes before tea, as he attempted to cut John Davison and the die was cast at 7/149.
Jason Gillespie (1) hung around for half an hour before Harvey trapped him in front and then an ill Parker returned, only to be claimed by the second new ball by a belligerent Saker for 11.
A flurry for last wicket between Brett Swain (13*) and Mark Harrity added 17 with Robertson picking up the last victim to give Victoria a lead of 40.
Saker finished with the figures of 4/32 from 22 overs in harsh heat, with both Robertson (2/46) and Harvey (2/20) inflicting their own damage.
Second time around, Jason Arnberger (5) fell to Gillespie after 45 minutes and then the prize scalp of Elliott went Young as Siddons pouched a drive at short cover for 25.
Jason Gillespie again bowled with fire (1/19 from eight overs) but he would have be more pleased if he hadn't have to turn out at the crease today, after his fine work yesterday.
Victoria are in the box seat, and by batting for a couple of sessions tomorrow should ensure themselves of outright victory in this match.
Attendance: 535
In a game of ups and downs for both sides, South Australia are surprisingly back in the box seat at lunch on the third day of the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria in Adelaide.
Victoria collapsed to lose 7/69 in the opening session and are 9/129, with Shaun Craig on 24 and Ashley Robertson unbeaten on three.
The star of the session was left arm spinner Brad Young who picked up the wickets of Brad Hodge (4) padding up, David Saker (4) caught off the back of his bat and Matthew Inness (0) at silly point. Young now has 4/43 from 23 overs after bowling unchanged from the Cathedral End.
Earlier Jason Gillespie bowled a fiery spell of 6-5-3-1, and picked the first wicket of the morning getting nightwatchman/skipper Darren Berry caught at second slip cutting in the seventh over for nine.
Then Mark Harrity made a surprise return to the bowling crease, trapping Laurie Harper in front for 33 and Ian Harvey well caught at second slip by Brad Young for just a single.
Saker went to Young and then John Davison was unluckily given out leg before padding up to Greg Blewett for 7 to make Victoria 8/112 a lead of just 152. The decision was the eighth leg before of the match and appeared to strike Davison outside the line, with the ball doing little in the way of inswing.
Inness went to Young and at lunch Victoria led by 169, which in the context of this match could well be enough, given the frailty of both teams with the bat. The pitch, though a little inconsistent in bounce has been virtually blameless for the dismissals today and on the earlier two days.
South Australian collapse chasing 190
South Australia for the second time in the match have batted poorly after doing to well to restrict their fourth innings target to 190.
At tea SA are 5/36 still needing 154 to win with Ben Johnson not out on 16. David Saker (2/16) and Matthew Inness (2/18) have done the damage with Ian Harvey (1/2) picking up the wicket of Geoff Parker (10) leg before on the stroke of tea.
With the score on ten, David Fitzgerald for the second time in the match edged a loose drive and was held by Darren Berry for three. Off the first ball of the next over, Greg Blewett replayed his fellow openers shot and edged Inness to Berry for seven.
Then in the same over Jamie Siddons gave Berry his third catch of the innings and he edged his fourth ball and suddenly it was 3/10.
Ten minutes later Jeff Vaughan was trapped in front by Saker and four wickets had fallen for just one in 22 balls.
It took ten overs after lunch for Victoria to lose its final wicket with Shaun Craig caught at mid wicket for 40 to give Brad Young a career best in first class cricket of 5/52. The last wicket added 34 in 43 minutes and at this stage those runs could prove vital in determining the result of this low scoring match.
Victoria get home despite blazing Young
Victoria are still in the hunt to make the Sheffield Shield Final after a 44 run victory over South Australia in Adelaide.
Great bowling by Matthew Inness (4/25) and David Saker (4/48) saw Victoria to the points, after Brad Young threatened to whip the match from the Bushrangers hands.
Young came in at a precarious 6/56 after Saker and Inness had destroyed South Australia's early batting with a combined 4/1 off 22 balls.
Young batted just an hour and a half for a hard hitting 70 off 92 balls and shared a remarkable ninth wicket stand with Brett Swain of 40, to which Swain contributed nought. His dismissal at 9/137 signalled the end to South Australia's faint hopes.
Again South Australia's batting has failed when it was needed most, this debacle being the third straight Shield innings where not one of the top seven batsman have passed fifty.
It places South Australia with little chance of making the Shield final and certainly gives Victoria a realistic hope of finding their way into the Shield Final for the first time since they won it in 1990-91.
Day 3 Attendance: 490, Total 1,599.