Sheffield Shield final

Bunbury batter Sam Whiteman has come agonisingly close to a dogged century on day one of the Sheffield Shield final — dismissed in controversial fashion ...

Cancel anytime. Cancel anytime.

Cameron Bancroft is unbeaten on 135, as Western Australia reaches stumps on 3-290 in its first innings against Victoria at the WACA ground in Perth.

After opting to bowl first at the WACA, Victoria conceded 188 runs before taking their first wicket as Western Australia take control on home turf.

Cartwright, who is coming off a century last week against the same opposition in the final round of the season, was out on the second last ball of the day when he slashed a short and wide Sutherland (1-66) delivery to Merlo at gully. It was the man of the summer in Boland who finally gave Victoria something to celebrate when he dismissed the left-hander on 85, with Whiteman edging to Sutherland in the gully on what turned out to be the final ball before tea. It was a positive start to the second session as Will Sutherland and Boland (1-59) tightened the screws with back-to-back maidens, with the Vics conceding only 14 runs in 10 overs after the break. Victoria also tried spin in the 13th over when the recalled Jon Holland was introduced, but it wasn't until after lunch when they managed to produce something to get excited about when Boland found the edge of Whiteman's bat but if fell just short of wicketkeeper Sam Harper. Merlo, who finished the day as the visitors most expensive bowler with 0-31 from seven overs, was recalled to the side for his fourth match of the season in the absence of injured stars James Pattinson and Australian Test squad member Marcus Harris. "It's pretty special, it's not every day you get play in a Shield final, and I just wanted to really get us off to a good start and have a good partnership with Whitey (Whiteman)," Bancroft said at the close of play.

Western Australia 290 for 3 (Bancroft 135*, Whiteman 85) against Victoria. Western Australia took a major step towards ending their 23-year Sheffield Shield ...

They scored 40 in 10 overs, but Cartwright will rue his false stroke right on stumps as he fell for 41 and left nightwatchman Matt Kelly one ball to face, which he survived. The spinners then tied down Bancroft and Cartwright as the game stalled before the second new ball. They had sights on a double century stand before Whiteman finally fell for 85 on the stroke of tea. Bancroft hardly played a false shot, but he did slice Sutherland just high and wide of gully on 71. Bancroft's rhythm took the pressure off his partner as he reached his half-century off 83 balls with a sublime drive straight of mid-off. Boland was particularly unlucky in the second over after the break.