Carey and McAndrew heroics deliver South Australia back-to-back Shields

[p]Facing defeat at 79-5 in the second innings, Carey stepped up to crunch 103 in a crucial late stand with number nine Nathan McAndrew (60).[/p][p]Their bowlers then finished the job at Melbourne's Junction Oval to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/victoria/Gd0wlfZ1/"]Victoria[/a] a first domestic red-ball crown since 2018-19.[/p][p]"[b]Very nervous, thinking maybe the game had just slipped through our hands[/b]," [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-australia/2gCCVaMb/"]South Australia[/a] captain Nathan McSweeney told reporters.[/p][p]"But the boys, Kez (Carey) and Macca (McAndrew), to be able to spend so much time in the middle and chip away at a total... then to get 195 ahead just gave us so much momentum and something to really bowl at.[/p][p]"[b]Our quicks have been great all year. To give them the ball and go to work was fantastic to see[/b]," he added.[/p][p]Victoria took an early stranglehold on the five-day decider when they dismissed South Australia for 198, with Will Sutherland taking 4-54 and Fergus O'Neill 3-30.[/p][embed guid="15ca0b51-d10d-43db-962c-0c519bc34814" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRH9MUvSIys" social-type="youtube" /][p]In reply, the hosts hit 261 on the back of O'Neill's unbeaten 64 and former Australian opener Marcus Harris's 40.[/p][p]When South Australia were reduced to 79-5 in their second innings, they looked doomed.[/p][p]But Carey dug in, sharing in a 105-run stand with McAndrew to set a tricky target of 196 for Victoria to chase.[/p][p]They reached 102-3 but then collapsed, losing 7-37 to be all out for 139 with McAndrew, Liam Scott and Henry Thornton all taking three wickets.[/p][p]"[b]The key moment was probably that partnership between McAndrew and Carey[/b]," said Victoria skipper Sutherland.[/p][p]"[b]I still think we probably could have got it done this morning... it's still a bit of a young group that can maybe handle those chases under high pressure slightly better I think.[/b]"[/p][p]Last year South Australia beat Queensland in the final, with a superb Carey century again leading the way.[/p]