Boland and O’Neill placed Victoria on the verge of securing the final position.

Victoria’s 298 and 0 for 0 require 61 runs to defeat Western Australia‘s 122 and 236 (Cartwright 82, Boland 4-69, Perry 3-44, O’Neill 3-52).

Victoria were on the verge of securing a position in the Sheffield Shield final on day three versus Western Australia at the WACA, but rain and poor lighting thwarted their efforts.

Victoria’s second innings, in pursuit of a goal of 61 runs after having bowled out Washington for 236 runs, did not begin due to poor lighting conditions.

Victoria, who can advance to the March 23 final with a victory, was extremely frustrated by the heavy drizzle that severely disrupted the final two sessions. Friday’s forecast for bright conditions in Perth, however, has them solidly in the lead.

Victoria once again outperformed WA, who were lackluster throughout what was virtually a dead rubber for them as they had already clinched a home final.

WA were 8 for 210 when play resumed with one hour remaining on a day of extended play. However, they lost their last two wickets before the dismal weather set in.

Scott Boland has been sensational in his comeback to the Shield, taking four wickets in each innings despite not having played since the first Test against India in Nagpur a month ago.

A persistent Scott Boland, who had earlier knocked openers Sam Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft with two threatening bursts late on day two, dismissed nightwatcher Corey Rocchiccioli early on day three when he was at 88 for 3, still down by 88 runs.

WA was on the verge of defeat, but Hilton Cartwright gave resistance in a riveting duel against Boland. He took advantage of sporadic loose deliveries to keep the scoreboard moving and put up with invasive bowling, including a Boland delivery that struck him in the groin.

But, Cartwright was on his own as Aaron Hardie’s important wicket fell just before noon for a laborious 13. Cartwright and Ashton Turner, playing his first Shield match since October 2020, were WA’s final chances.

Turner had played well with Cartwright in WA’s best partnership in their substandard first innings of 122, but he needed to conduct a huge rescue mission comparable to his ongoing accomplishments as captain of the BBL champion Perth Scorchers.

In contrast to his aggressive batting in the BBL, Turner prudently dug in after lunch when Boland unleashed a probing spell. Turner played second fiddle to Cartwright, who was determined to score his first ton of the Shield season.

They added 41 runs to put Western Australia on the verge of taking the lead before Turner was caught behind off the quick Fergus O’Neill, who in the following over removed Cartwright for 82.

Former Test all-rounder Cartwright was looking for a century after missing out on Western Australia’s 50-over Marsh Cup victory last week.

Cartwright has scored seven half-centuries during a strong Shield season and has been WA’s strongest performer in this match, taking three wickets on the second day.

Several times on the last day of the match, rain – a rarity in Perth at this time of year – slowed Victoria’s assault, preventing them from immediately claiming victory.