Skipper Peter Handscomb was the star as Victoria registered a six-wicket victory over South Australia
Handscomb guides Bushrangers home
Test squad member Peter Handscomb found form in his final innings before heading to South Africa, with his unbeaten century lifting Victoria to a crucial six-wicket win against South Australia at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Victoria were 3-84 at one stage in pursuit of a testing fourth-innings JLT Sheffield Shield victory target of 252, but Handscomb steadied and then hit the winning runs with 11 overs to spare for the Bushrangers to collect their maiden win of the season.
Handscomb, who made a seven-ball duck in the first innings, started steadily before bringing up the run-rate in scoring 114 not from 128 balls.
It was his first first-class century of the summer and his first on Australian soil since the SCG Test against Pakistan in January 2017.
Since that hundred in Sydney, the right-hander had scored just one century in 39 first-class knocks, the lone three-figure score coming for Yorkshire last May.
The Vics' captain combined with former skipper Cameron White for a pivotal 138-run stand for the fourth wicket.
White backed up his first-innings' 149 by scoring 50, before being dismissed by part-time spinner Jake Lehmann.
South Australia's bowlers struggled for their usual line and length as they sought wickets, with Joe Mennie (2-40) the pick of the frontline quartet.
Chadd Sayers, last year's leading wicket-taker, finished with match figures of 0-135.
Day four began with South Australia 5-208 and boasting a lead of 216.
The Redbacks' tail, however, offered little resistance leaving Victoria with a gettable target off 77 overs.
The win saw defending Shield champions Victoria leap to fourth on the table to keep their finals hopes alive.
Australia will depart for South Africa on Thursday for a four-Test tour.
South Australia: Jake Weatherald, Kelvin Smith, John Dalton, Tom Cooper, Jake Lehmann, Alex Ross, Harry Nielsen, Joe Mennie, Chadd Sayers, Daniel Worrall, Nick Winter.
Victoria: Travis Dean, Marcus Harris, Eamonn Vines, Cameron White, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Short, Seb Gotch, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Scott Boland, Jon Holland.