Strokeplayer Tom Cooper rescued South Australia from the brink of self-destruction to deliver a vital one-wicket win over Victoria in Tuesday’s one-day match in Adelaide.

The Redbacks went top of the one-day table by logging a tense bonus point victory, chasing down their 124 run target with nine wickets down.

The South Australians almost perished amid a landmark spell of bowling by Victorian spinner Jon Holland.

The left-arm tweaker snared 6-29 from 13 overs – the sixth best bowling figures in domestic limited overs history, and best by a Victorian

Holland triggered a stunning SA collapse of 8-38, only for ice-cool Cooper (60 not out) to guide the Redbacks to 9-124.

SA earlier bowled the Bushrangers out for 123, the lowest one-day total by the Victorians on Adelaide Oval.

But the Redbacks almost blew up in trying to reach their target within 25 overs and collect two bonus points.

Instead, they limped to their target in 35.2 overs to grab one bonus point, enough to surpass Tasmania on top of the ladder with one minor round game remaining.

The fourth-placed Victorians now have no chance of making the limited overs final.

SA openers Michael Klinger and Daniel Harris were largely untroubled in making 45 until the latter fell for 11 in the ninth over.

Harris’ departure triggered a collapse of 6-16 in a stunning seven over span.

Captain Klinger (32 from 31 balls) recklessly holed out to deep mid-off as chief destroyer Holland claimed four of the dismissals, including the prized scalp of Callum Ferguson for two.

Holland later picked up another two wickets in the same over as the Redbacks slumped to 8-83.

But their emerging star Cooper combined with No.10 Gary Putland (six) for a defining 37-run partnership for the ninth wicket.

For the Redbacks paceman Jake Haberfield claimed 4-30 while fellow quicks Gary Putland and Joe Mennie both snared two wickets.

Cooper said his match-winning heroics shouldn’t have been required.

“It got a bit closer than it should have, I reckon,” he said.

“The boys bowled and fielded brilliantly and really set the game up, but I guess you could say we did our best to lose it.

“To get the five points – in the end, it doesn’t matter how you get them, but we have got a bit of work to do.”

Victorian spinner Holland said his six-wicket haul in a losing side was bitter-sweet.

“That is probably the best I have bowled, the control was really good and everything I tried to bowl worked really well,” Holland said.

“But we didn’t make as many runs as we needed to … we knew if we didn’t take the 10 wickets, we weren’t going to win the game.”