Victoria 234 for 7 (Rogers 67, Maddinson 54, Buckingham 3-36) beat South Australia 231 for 9 (Nielsen 61, Conway 43*, O’Neill 3-38) by three wickets
The win catapulted Victoria from third to first on the table ahead of the final round of the season, however they missed the chance for what could prove a crucial bonus, losing 5 for 41 in their chase for it before getting over the line.
Victoria take on second-placed NSW in their final match, with both sides aiming to lock in a spot in the February 25 decider. Defending champions Western Australia, one point behind NSW and four points behind Victoria, are the only other team capable of snaring a spot in the final.
South Australia remain last with five losses and a no result from their six matches.
Hunt had blood streaming from his nose after his attempted catch at mid-off from a powerful Rogers shot. As Hunt was falling to ground, the ball slipped through his hands and struck him flush on the nose, with blood immediately gushing out.
Team-mates rushed to Hunt’s aid, with Rogers also showing his concern. After receiving some on-field treatment, Hunt walked off with a towel covering his nose to contain the blood and went to hospital for scans
South Australia recovered from 132 for 7 to reach a defendable 231 for 9 after being sent in to bat. Peter Siddle snared the first wicket of the day when Hunt edged through to the keeper with an attempted hook.
Nathan McSweeney and debutant Jake Winter helped the Redbacks move from 19 for 2 to 81 for 2. But when both were caught behind in quick succession, South Australia were in trouble again at 85 for 4.
Conway also provided one of the highlights of the match with a juggling catch on the boundary to dismiss Peter Handscomb for 17.
