SHAUN Marsh has struck an unbeaten half–century to guide Western Australia to a six–wicket win over South Australia in a rain–affected one–day clash at the WACA Ground.
In a match that featured four rain delays, WA were originally set a victory target of 199 off 35 overs under the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern system, before that was later revised down to 165 off 27 overs.
WA slipped to 4–74, but Marsh (80no off 63 balls) and D'Arcy Short (35no off 27 balls) got the home side over the line with an unbeaten 93–run stand.
Marsh cracked 11 fours and a six in his classy knock.
The game was still delicately poised with three overs to go and WA needing 29 runs for victory, but SA unravelled from that point.
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Speedster Brendan Doggett bowled a delivery so wide that it didn't even hit the pitch, with WA peeling 12 runs off his wayward over.
Wes Agar (1–44 off 5.4 overs) fared even worse straight after, with the speedster bowling two no–balls and a wide to start the over.
One of his no–balls was a beamer that Marsh was luckily able to fend away with his bat.
"He apologised. It happens sometimes in cricket," Marsh said.
Short made Agar pay for the no–balls, thumping a six off one of the free hits, before Marsh cracked two boundaries later in the over to secure victory with eight balls to spare.
Agar's over, which consisted of only four legal deliveries, ended up costing 19 runs.
"He's done so many good things, he's going to have an off day every now and then," Redbacks skipper Travis Head said of Agar.
"It's just how can you back that up, and how can you work on it and learn from it."
The Redbacks compiled a total of 6–193 off 35 during an innings that was disrupted three times by rain.
Opener Jake Weatherald top–scored for the visitors with 60 off 81 balls, while Daniel Worrall (31no off 25 balls) and Nathan McAndrew (21no off 15 balls) combined for an unbeaten 55–run partnership to boost South Australia's score.
Dangerman Head, who had posted scores of 163 and 230 in his two previous one–day knocks this season, was out for 28 when he edged Lance Morris behind.
WA's run chase got off to a shaky start, but another rain delay meant the game ended up having a T20 feel to it.
Marsh and Short thrived in that environment.
"We knew we had batters in the shed, and D'Arcy's a really good player," Marsh said.
"So it was just about building a partnership. Once we got through that first 20, 30 runs, we set ourselves to go big at the back end, and it worked." –AAP
