Victoria needed little more than two days of cricket to complete an emphatic outright victory over hapless Western Australia in their Sheffield Shield clash at the WACA ground.
The Bushrangers needed just one ball in their second innings to wrap up the 10-wicket win over the beleaguered Warriors before lunch on the third day.
Having lost their last three second-innings wickets for just eight runs, and the last two without addition to the score, the Warriors were dismissed for 200.
In complete command for the entire match after winning an important toss, the Victorians did not even need to call on the services of Test paceman Peter Siddle (2 for 16), who narrowly missed a hat-trick on the second day, for the third morning.
John Hastings, named man-of-the-match, made the most of the easy pickings to claim 5 for 30 and he finished with seven wickets for the game.
The Bushrangers were left needing just a solitary run to wrap up the victory.
Ironically, former Western Australia opener Chris Rogers ended the home team's misery by flicking Mitchell Johnson's first delivery to the fine-leg boundary for four.
The Warriors were dismissed for 175 on the opening day after being sent in to bat by Bushrangers captain Andrew McDonald and resumed on the third morning at 4 for 91, still 109 runs behind Victoria's first-innings total of 375.
Their hopes of fighting back rested with overnight batsmen, brothers Shaun and Mitchell Marsh.
However, those hopes were dashed in just the sixth over of the day, when Hastings removed the latter for 40.
With just his second ball of a new spell, Hastings lured Marsh into guiding the ball straight into the hands of fellow fast bowler Will Sheridan at point.
Just two overs later, Marsh's elder brother joined him in the pavilion, trapped leg-before by Hastings for 30 as Western Australia slumped to 6 for 106, still needing 94 more to make the Bushrangers bat again.
Only some agricultural batting from Nathan Coulter-Nile, belting 45 from 30 balls, ensured the Victorian openers needed to pad up again.
While it was a perfect start to a new campaign for the Bushrangers, it has been a horrific start to the Shield season for the Warriors, who were thrashed by visiting New South Wales in their season-opener a fortnight ago.
The Warriors, who have been unlucky to lose two crucial tosses on green wickets, have no points after two home games.
The Bushrangers also won last season's match at the WACA by 212 runs.
AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, perth-6000, wa, australia, melbourne-3000, vic First posted October 02, 2012 15:34:07
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