Western Australia 373 (Goodwin 139, Turner 79, Doggett 5-97) and 243 for 3 dec (Bancroft 105*, Goodwin 69) drew with South Australia 253 (Hunt 106, Manenti 73*, Paris 5-34) and 208 for six (Lehmann 53, Critchell 3-33)
Bancroft struck an unbeaten 105 off 255 balls as WA set South Australia a victory goal of 364 off 90 overs. They have been precariously positioned at 170 for five after 60.1 overs – with debutant Keaton Critchell taking three wickets – when a rain break worn out 17 overs.
The lack of Harry Nielsen within the first over after the rain break meant WA wanted simply 4 extra wickets with 12.2 overs remaining. However Scott (33 not out off 106 balls) and Ben Manenti survived earlier than the sport was deemed a draw with three balls remaining.
There was surprising drama late within the match when Hilton Cartwright was pressured off the sphere after being by chance struck within the head by the ball. Cartwright wasn’t wanting when Bancroft tossed the ball to him from 5 metres away, however fortunately the affect was solely minor.
Bancroft began the season as a real likelihood to win the vacant opener’s spot within the Check aspect following two mammoth years with the bat. However his kind turned to mush so rapidly over the previous two months that critics even began questioning whether or not he deserved to maintain his spot within the WA aspect.
Bancroft opened the Protect marketing campaign with scores of 0, 0, 8 and a pair of. In his two matches for Australia A, which successfully doubled as a bat-off for the vacant top-order spot within the Check crew, Bancroft scored 0, 16, 3 and 0.
Nathan McSweeney ended up successful the Check call-up, and Bancroft went on to make 12 and 11 in his subsequent Protect match in opposition to Victoria, earlier than opening the present Protect conflict with a first-ball duck, regardless of not showing to have edged the ball.
It continued a rotten run of luck for Bancroft, with plenty of his dismissals this season showing to be umpiring errors. However his luck lastly modified.
Bancroft made it to stumps on Monday unbeaten on 71, and he had one edge fall quick and one other edge fly too excessive for the fielder on Tuesday on the best way to reaching his thirtieth first-class century.
The 32-year-old raised his bat and helmet to the sky upon reaching triple figures, with the knock an essential step in his bid to get again within the dialog for a Check call-up.
WA younger gun Jayden Goodwin was named participant of the match for his scores of 139 and 69.
