South Australia win last-ball Sheffield Shield thriller

South Australia are top of the Sheffield Shield after the win

Sheffield Shield (day four of four)

South Australia 398-6 dec (Sangha 151, Hunt 136) & 233-9 dec (Kuhnemann 4-67)

Tasmanian Tigers 203 (Scott 3-30, Thornton 3-41) & 426 (Ward 142; Agar 3-91)

South Australia won by two runs

Scorecard

South Australia dramatically beat Tasmanian Tigers by two runs off the final ball of the game to record the joint-tightest win in Sheffield Shield history.

Chasing an unlikely 429 to win, the Tigers needed four off the last ball, but Australia bowler Riley Meredith was run out, seemingly having forgotten that a draw was possible.

He picked out deep cover and was looking to complete a second run, that still would have resulted in the Tigers failing to win.

They were well set at 400-5, needing 29 more from the final 27 balls, but dramatically lost four wickets in a nine-ball spell in the final two overs.

It is the fourth time a Sheffield Shield game has been won by two runs, but the first since New South Wales edged out Western Australia in January 2003.

The other occasions were when Western Australia beat Victoria in November 1998 and South Australia got the better of Western Australia in November 1999.

How the final two overs played out

Tasmanian Tigers were 413-6 at the start of the penultimate over, needing another 16 to win. Here's how the final two overs played out:

111.1 overs: Lawrence Neil-Smith takes a single. 15 required.

111.2 overs: Six! Mitch Owen hits Nathan McAndrew over the ropes. Nine required.

111.3 overs: Owen takes a couple more. Seven required.

111.4 overs: Wicket! Owen is caught at long-on playing a big shot. Seven required.

111.5 overs: Two in two! Matthew Kuhnemann is out first ball. Seven required.

112 overs: Dot ball. The Tigers need seven runs from the final over, while South Australia need two wickets.

112.1 overs: Neil-Smith takes a single. Six required.

112.2 overs: Gabe Bell plays out a dot ball. Six required.

112.3 overs: Wicket! Bell is bowled by Wes Agar. Six runs or one wicket required.

112.4 overs: Meredith takes a single. Five runs or one wicket required.

112.5 overs: Neil-Smith takes a single. Four runs or one wickets from the final ball.

113 overs: Wicket! Meredith is run out. South Australia win by two runs.

'I was content with the draw'

The win moves South Australia to the top of the table, but their captain Ben Manenti admitted afterwards that he had given up on the victory.

"I thought we were gone, then back in it, then gone again and back in it," he said.

"I was content with the draw more than anything.

"But Wes [Agar] nailed six beautiful yorkers back to back.

"Realistically we needed two wickets and they needed six runs. They could have hit six singles to the deep guy and walked it home.

"Hell of a game of Shield cricket."

During the chase, there was also an incident reminiscent of Jonny Bairstow being controversially run out by Alex Carey at Lord's in last summer's Ashes.

With the Tigers going well, South Australia opted to go to a short-ball plan in an attempt to limit the scoring.

Tim Ward, who made 142, ducked a bouncer off Henry Thornton, before scratching his guard and walking out of his crease, a la Bairstow.

Harry Nielsen threw down the stumps but the appeal was denied, with the umpires deciding that over had been called.