Captain Simon Katich said Western Australia's first outright win of the season, over South Australia at the Adelaide Oval today, was a reward for patient bowling and sharp fielding.

The Warriors dismissed South Australia for 154 to claim the 76-run victory, with paceman Matt Nicholson taking his second four-wicket haul of the game to be named man of the match.

"It was good for the bowlers to get the rewards," Katich said.

"Brad Williams, Matt Nicholson and Jo Angel were all good.

"The fielding was excellent, that could have been the difference, although it was a 70-odd run game, but we fielded very well in both innings."

WA's 227 in the first innings was the highest score of the match, but Katich said the pitch was not that difficult to bat on and the low scoring was a credit to the accuracy of the bowlers.

"The wicket was good, yesterday it was a bit up and down and a bit hard to score on but the bowlers just hit good areas and bowled to their fields," he said.

SA started today at four for 52, needing to reach 231 to win the game, but lost Brad Young in the first over of the day without adding to the score and Ben Higgins nine runs later to fall to 6-61.

Wicketkeeper Graham Manou and all-rounder Mike Smith provided the only real resistance, hitting a rapid 68-run seventh wicket partnership, with Manou top scoring with 43 from 38 balls.

But his aggression cost him his wicket, when he skied a sweep shot attempting to loft Brad Hogg over mid-wicket, giving WA keeper Ryan Campbell an easy catch.

That virtually ended the South Australian fightback, with the last three wickets falling cheaply, Nicholson picking up the final wicket of Mark Harrity 25 minutes after lunch.

WA left-arm spinner Brad Oldroyd was unable to celebrate the win with his team-mates after being knocked unconscious and being taken from the ground on a stretcher after an accidental collision with SA's Peter McIntyre just before lunch.

McIntyre was running between wickets while Oldroyd was attempting to get back to the stumps, and the pair clashed heads.

Oldroyd was hospitalised with concussion but was not believed to have suffered any more serious injuries.

SA skipper Darren Lehmann said while his team was disappointed with its batting, there were several positives to take from the match, including eight wickets to 20-year-old paceman Paul Rofe in just his eighth first-class match, and a first innings unbeaten 121 from opener Ben Johnson.

Johnson only made the team because regular opening pair Jeff Vaughan (concussion) and David Fitzgerald (illness) were unavailable.

The two sides meet again here on Friday for a limited overs day-night match. Oldroyd will miss the game, with Angel expected to replace him.

© 2001 AAP