Victoria suffered an innings defeat to South Australia in their opening Sheffield Shield match at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on Saturday, marking their first innings loss in three years. The reigning two-time champions secured a comprehensive victory by an innings and 40 runs.

Victoria entered the final day on 7 for 175, needing 89 runs to force South Australia to bat again. However, they were dismissed for 224, despite a resilient innings from Fergus O’Neill, who scored 62 runs, and a patient debut performance by left-arm spinner Harry Hoekstra, who made 17 runs off 70 balls. South Australia’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout the innings to close out the win.

Acting Victoria captain Peter Handscomb acknowledged the disappointment of the result but expressed confidence that his team was close to the performance they aimed for. He highlighted Hoekstra, aged 20 and from Casey South Melbourne club, as a positive takeaway. The young all-rounder impressed with both the bat and ball, accumulating 62 runs across two innings and taking 6 wickets for 103 runs in 27 overs.

“I like Harry," Handscomb said, praising Hoekstra’s competitive spirit and mental resilience. “The skill was there, but more just the mental strength he showed to keep charging in and sticking to the plans with the ball. He stayed calm and collected coming into his first game facing some of the quickest bowlers in the competition.”

South Australia’s acting captain Ben Manenti described the team’s performance as a strong start to the season and a relief following his own first-class century earlier in the match. Manenti acknowledged that while the bowling on day one was not up to their usual standards, the side balanced that out with improved performances on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. He noted the significance of a substantial partnership with Noah McFadyen, which helped keep their fielding side fresh.

Manenti also addressed concerns around the injury to former Test opener Jake Weatherald, who collided with the boundary fence while fielding on day one and was subsequently removed from the game after failing a concussion test. The captain said Weatherald was understandably disappointed but that the team fully supported the decision to prioritize his health.

“He was a bit disappointed, to put it lightly,” Manenti said. “He’s been batting really well, a class player and keen to get back to Test level. We had no dramas with the concussion decision. He just got a nice ball from Harry, who bowled well. That’s cricket.”

The match marked a solid start for South Australia’s title defense, while Victoria will seek to regroup after a challenging season opener.