Cartwright ton keeps WA in the match

Hilton Cartwright scored the third first-class hundred of his career, and his first of this Sheffield Shield season, as Western Australia clung on to hope in their match against Victoria in Alice Springs. Having conceded a hefty first-innings deficit, the Warriors went to stumps on day three at 7 for 238 in their second innings, leading by 62 runs, with D'Arcy Short on 7 and Jason Behrendorff on 4.

To have even a slim chance of victory, the Western Australia tail will likely need to push that advantage up towards 150, but Cartwright's hundred and a half-century from Michael Klinger at least kept them in the game. The Warriors began the day on 0 for 29 and quickly lost Cameron Bancroft, who was lbw to James Pattinson, and then Jon Wells, who was caught behind off Daniel Christian.

Cartwright and Klinger put on 139 for the fourth wicket, both grinding their way through the innings, before Cartwright was lbw to Pattinson for 101. Although Cartwright was overlooked for a call-up to the Test squad in India as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, Pattinson could be a chance of being called on after Mitchell Starc was also ruled out due to injury. Pattinson finished the day with 4 for 48.

Klinger fell soon after Cartwright for 55 from 172 balls, also lbw to Pattinson, and the loss of Josh Inglis and Ashon Turner late in the day gave Victoria hope of running through the tail.