South Australia has ended a 29-year Sheffield Shield title drought in spectacular fashion, successfully chasing down a record 270 runs in the fourth innings to defeat Queensland by four wickets at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.

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The dramatic victory, secured on day four of the scheduled five-day final, marked the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in the history of the Sheffield Shield final, surpassing Victoria's 239-2 against New South Wales in 1990-91.

South Australia found itself in early trouble at 28-3 before a match-winning 202-run partnership between Australian Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey (105) and Jason Sangha (126*). Carey's fluent century ensured South Australia remained in control despite losing three late wickets. Sangha, standing firm, hit the winning run, sparking jubilant celebrations as South Australia's long-suffering fans rushed onto the field.

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The foundations of the triumph were laid in the first innings when South Australia took full advantage of favorable seam-bowling conditions. Fast bowler Brendan Doggett, who was part of Australia’s Test squad during the recent series against India, dismantled Queensland with figures of 6-31, restricting them to just 95 runs—the lowest first-innings total in a Shield final.

In response, South Australia posted 271, securing a commanding 176-run lead, thanks largely to Jake Lehmann’s composed 102 from 151 balls. Queensland, however, mounted an impressive fightback in their second innings, with centuries from Jack Wildermuth (111) and Jack Clayton (100) helping them reach 445, setting South Australia a challenging 270-run target.

Doggett continued his impact in Queensland’s second innings, taking another five-wicket haul to prevent their lead from growing insurmountable.

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A fitting end to resurgent season

South Australia, which had languished at the bottom of the Shield table for the past seven seasons, completed a remarkable turnaround, having also won the domestic one-day competition earlier in the month.

Captain Nathan McSweeney, a former Queensland player, credited the team’s depth for the success, saying, "Quite tough work to chase 270, which was a really challenging score. We had to play our best. In the past, we've relied on one or two players to really carry us, but this year so many people stood up at important times."

Both teams were missing key players, including Travis Head and Xavier Bartlett, who are currently playing in the Indian Premier League. However, South Australia's resilience and team effort ensured they clinched their 14th Sheffield Shield title, etching their name into the history books with an unforgettable run chase.

(With inputs from agencies)