Western Australia crumbled as Chris Green took a six-wicket haul, with NSW in sight of victory at stumps on day three
Spinner Chris Green has snared career-best figures to put NSW on track for victory in their Marsh Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the WACA Ground.
Green took 6-83 as WA slumped from 0-51 to be all out for 176 in their second innings on Monday, setting NSW a victory target of 182.
The Blues went to stumps on day three well placed at 1-77, with Blake Nikitaras (39 not out) and Daniel Hughes (27 not out) still at the crease.
Hughes survived two huge lbw shouts from Joel Paris in the dying moments of the day.
NSW need just 105 more runs for victory, but WA spinner Corey Rocchiccioli believes his team can still win if they can build pressure on the visitors on Tuesday.
“We saw what happened in our innings – if you build pressure, things happen,” he said.
“We’ve got nothing to lose. I’m still confident we can take the nine wickets and win the game.”
A total of 14 wickets fell on day three as momentum swung back and forth.
NSW resumed at 7-244, but lost 3-7 to be all out for 251.
Charlie Stobo snared the scalps of overnight batsmen Green (19) and Jackson Bird (11), before Rocchiccioli dismissed Chris Tremain to give WA a first-innings lead of five runs.
Rocchiccioli finished with 4-101, while Paris (3-45) and Stobo (3-38) also stood tall to make up for the loss of Matt Kelly (torn pectoral).
WA were cruising at 0-51 in their second innings as Cameron Bancroft (36) and Sam Whiteman (27) set a solid foundation.
But it was a disaster for WA from that point on as Tremain (2-28) and Green ripped through the line-up.
Tremain removed Whiteman and Bancroft, while Green sent Jayden Goodwin (4), Hilton Cartwright (17), Sam Fanning (10) and Teague Wyllie (4) packing as WA slumped to 6-108.
WA’s final total would have been far less if it wasn’t for some late heroics from No.10 Rocchiccioli, who thumped three fours and two sixes in his blistering knock of 28 off 11 balls.
NSW entered the match fourth on the Shield table, but a win in Perth will put them neck-and-neck with second-placed WA.
