O'Neill bags five as Victoria close in on victory – T20 IPL 2024

Victoria 288 & 49 for 2 (Maddinson 21*. Mcandrew 2-18) trail South Australia 173 and 271 (Nielsen 67, Hunt 54, O’Neill 5-47) by 107 runs

Victorian paceman Fergus O’Neill has snared 5 for 47 to put the home side in the box seat for victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia.

The Redbacks were bowled out for 271 in their second innings at Junction Oval on Monday, setting Victoria a victory target of 157. Victoria went to stumps on day three at 49 for 2, with the home side needing another 108 runs to secure the win.

Nic Maddinson, who scored 104 in Victoria’s first-innings total of 288, is unbeaten on 21, while the home side’s second nightwatcher Xavier Crone also made it to stumps.

Victorian opener Marcus Harris only made four before being bowled by Nathan McAndrew for the second time in the match. Nightwatcher Todd Murphy (18) was then trapped lbw by McAndrew in the final over of the day.

The opening session on Monday was washed out by rain. When play resumed after lunch with South Australia 66 for 2 in their second innings, Victorian paceman Scott Boland was able to take his place on the field after passing a fitness test on his sore knee.

O’Neill, who dismissed Jake Carder late on day two, then claimed another four wickets on Monday to put the brakes on South Australia’s second innings.

The 23-year-old snared the key scalps of Henry Hunt (54), McAndrew (43) and Harry Nielsen (67), before finishing off his fine haul with the wicket of Ben Manenti (19). It was his third five-wicket haul of his short Shield career, with all coming against South Australia this season.

Murphy took 3 for 54 and Boland chipped in with 2 for 35 from 16 overs in a strong bowling display from Victoria.

McAndrew received a life on 34 when Crone dropped a tough caught-and-bowled chance.

Hunt was bowled a short time later when O’Neill got one to jag back sharply. Every time the Redbacks steadied the ship, O’Neill was on hand to snare a vital wicket, and Victoria will fancy their chances of winning on Tuesday, despite the tricky nature of the pitch.

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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