Match-winning paceman Matt Kelly believes the confidence gained from WA's recent one-day title triumph has transferred across to their Sheffield Shield performances, and Victoria is next on the hit list.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Less than a week after lifting the one-day title, WA pulled off a thrilling 36-run Shield victory over South Australia with just seven balls to spare.
Kelly was the hero on the final day, snaring 5-63 to help spark a Redbacks collapse.
The win has kept WA third on the Shield table - just three points adrift of second-placed Queensland.
WA will fly to Melbourne this week to take on struggling Victoria at the MCG, starting Saturday.
The defending champions sit bottom of the ladder with no wins to their name, but WA are expecting a big fight.
WA will again be without Jhye Richardson while the star paceman recovers from a shoulder injury.
Richardson, who first dislocated his right bowling shoulder while playing for Australia in March, re-injured it on the eve of WA's one-day cup final.
The 23-year-old was able to play in the final, but has been rested since then to ensure he'll be ready to go for the start of the Perth Scorchers' BBL campaign.
Even without Richardson WA's pace bowlers have been able to shine, with Kelly, David Moody, Marcus Stoinis, and Joel Paris all playing key roles in the win over SA.
Kelly says the team is riding a wave of confidence following their recent successes.
"Any time you win a title with your team, the whole squad is up and about, even the guys who didn't play in that game," Kelly said.
"To get a win like that in the one-day final and come here and get a win (over the Redbacks), it's only going to make it even better.
"We're going to try to harness that as much as possible. We're going to try to take this momentum into Victoria.
"It's a big game for us, trying to finish the first half of the Sheffield Shield season well."
Australian Associated Press
