South Australia 8 for 474 (Cooper 138, Ferguson 101, Behrendorff 3-70) lead Western Australia 9 for 271 dec (Suan Marsh 73, Klinger 61, Mennie 3-56) by 203 runs
Scorecard
Tom Cooper headlined South Australia’s day of dominance with a rapid century © Getty Images
Callum Ferguson marked his 100th first-class match with a century to help South Australia establish a first-innings lead of 203 on the second day of their day-night Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA.
Ferguson was left with the unenviable task of pulling South Australia out of a spot, after they had been reduced to 2 for 16 at stumps on the opening day. South Australia ended the day on 8 for 474, after Western Australia had declared on 9 for 271, courtesy a half-century from Shaun Marsh, who returned from a hamstring injury. While Ferguson took the team close to the 200-mark, it was Tom Cooper who helped them surge ahead, scoring a century of his own and putting on 198 for the seventh wicket with wicketkeeper Alex Carey to frustrate Western Australia.
Ferguson collected his runs at 79.52 per 100 balls, while Cooper was even more severe, striking at 89.61 as South Australia slammed 458 runs in 93 overs on the day. Ferguson added 60 more for the third wicket with overnight partner and nightwatchman Joe Mennie, who struck 32. Ferguson was then joined by South Australia captain Travis Head, and the duo added 122 for the fourth wicket at nearly a run a ball. Ferguson was dismissed by left-arm paceman Jason Behrendorff, who had rocked the visiting team late on the opening day. He had faced 127 balls for his 101 and struck 18 fours. Head fell three overs later for a 61-ball 66, 52 of which came through fours.
Cooper started off by adding 55 for the sixth wicket with Jake Lehmann. After Lehmann’s dismissal for 29 – his strike rate of 59.18 was the lowest among all South Australia batsmen to record double figures – Cooper and Carey took charge and punished the home team’s bowlers for 38.5 overs, going at nearly five an over during their stand. The carnage ended with Cooper’s dismissal, bowled by Agar, for 138 off 154 balls, a knock that featured 10 fours and a six. Carey was dismissed by the same bowler, caught behind in his next over, for a more sedate 121-ball 79. A rare slow passage followed thereafter, with Kane Richardson and Chadd Sayers adding 12 unbeaten runs off 26 balls for the ninth wicket, before stumps were drawn.
Benrendorff was the most successful bowler, with 3 for 70, and also the most economical of the main Western Australia bowlers. Marsh and Agar took two wickets each, but were both expensive, as was David Moody, the right-arm pacer, who accounted for Head.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo