Victoria paceman Will Sheridan engineered a stunning 212-run victory over Western Australia to ensure the Bushrangers remain in the hunt for the Sheffield Shield final.
Sheridan claimed five wickets in 20 balls and finished with 5-15 as the Warriors surrendered any chance of chasing down the target of 367 at the WACA Ground on Sunday.
In the space of 30 minutes, WA went from 0-63 to 6-82 and despite a more concerted survival effort after lunch, WA was rolled for 154 just before tea.
Nathan Coulter-Nile smashed four sixes as he slugged an unbeaten 44 while Victorian seamer Jayde Herrick cleaned up the tail for a deserved 3-66.
Earlier on Sunday, Victoria declared at 8-390 after adding 29 more runs to their overnight score.
WA started the run-chase brightly with Liam Davis and Wes Robinson adding 63 for the first wicket.
Davis hit eight fours in his 45-ball innings to keep the Warriors above the required run-rate of more than four an over.
But the introduction of Sheridan changed the game.
After an opening full-toss that was smacked for four, Sheridan removed Davis for 38 and the next ball trapped Shaun Marsh lbw for a duck.
Adam Voges, facing a king pair, watched the hat-trick ball pass well wide of off-stump.
But he lasted just one more ball when he drove hard at the first delivery of Sheridan’s second over and wicketkeeper Ryan Carters accepted the catch.
The 24-year-old left-arm paceman, playing his seventh first-class match and with just seven wickets to his name before Sunday, then had three wickets in four balls.
At the other end, Robinson had begun to play with more freedom but could only watch as his team-mates crumbled.
Travis Birt was lbw for six before Sheridan was again on a hat-trick when he ripped through Craig Simmons’ defence.
Luke Ronchi defended the hat-trick ball but then inexplicably holed out to Sheridan at deep square leg, in what turned out to be the last ball before lunch.
The Shield final hosting rights are on the line in the last round of fixtures but a WA win over Tasmania will ensure the Warriors host the final.
Victoria will play NSW and again need an outright victory to have a chance of sneaking into the final ahead of Queensland or Tasmania.
