Former Test quick Jackson Bird has dismantled South Australia with 11 wickets to power NSW to a thumping Sheffield Shield win by an innings and one run.
After claiming seven first-innings wickets to skittle the hosts for 110, Bird (4-65) was a handful again in the second innings at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.
Despite the best efforts of Jake Lehmann (100), who scored his 11th first-class century, SA were unable to do enough to make NSW bat again.
Allrounder Jack Edwards (4-41) helped Bird clean up the tail as SA were dismissed for 283 in their second innings on Saturday.
NSW only needed to take nine wickets, with SA quick Nathan McAndrew hurt and unable to bat a second time.
It was the sixth 10-wicket match haul for Bird in a long and winding first-class career.
Bird's previous five-wicket haul before he rocked SA on Thursday was back in March 2021, when he bagged 7-18 against the Blues while playing for Tasmania.
SA entered the match after beating NSW in the one-day cup match on Tuesday, and were previously undefeated in the Shield.
But without Test keeper Alex Carey, who is preparing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, SA suffered a major reality check in losing inside three days to a team on the rise.
Former Test batter Kurtis Patterson struck 71 for NSW as they made 394 to claim a first-innings lead of 284.
Dropped from NSW's Sheffield Shield side for most of last summer and fearing his career could be over, Patterson made it three straight half-centuries.
