South Australia opens Shield defence with innings victory
Noah McFadyen made 134 on debut and took the wicket that sealed Victoria's defeat at Junction Oval.
South Australia launched its bid for a third consecutive Sheffield Shield title with a win against Victoria at Junction Oval on 10 October 2026. The defending champions' winning margin was an innings and 40 runs.
Debutant Noah McFadyen contributed the highest score, 134, to South Australia's total of 508 in its only innings. The 23-year-old all-rounder then completed the victory by catching David Moody off his own bowling, recording match figures of 3-65.
McFadyen reached his century by striking two sixes from a score of 88. He finished his innings with 16 fours and five sixes.
Victoria returned to the crease at 7-175, requiring 89 more runs to force South Australia to bat a second time. Its innings ended at 224, following a first-innings total of 244.
With 62, Fergus O'Neill was Victoria's leading scorer in the second innings. Three wickets each went to Nathan McAndrew and Henry Thornton.
