Ships and songs go hand in hand, and Britain and Ireland have produced more than their fair share of both. In the late 1800s, there emerged from somewhere within those seafaring lands a shanty of uncommon charm and appeal. Popularised by The Pogues, the ballad Bound for South Australia rocks and rollicks like a windjammer tearing across the roaring forties under full sail. Halfway around the world from its birthplace, the song has become an anthem that celebrates the distinctiveness of a state not necessarily renowned for distinction, especially on the sporting field. Its chorus, however, could not have better captured the resolve and tenacity with which South Australia's cricketers applied themselves against Queensland on the decisive fourth day of this year's Sheffield Shield final: "Haul away you rolling kings, "Heave away, haul away, "Haul away, you'll hear me sing, "We're bound for South Australia." When Alex Carey joined Jason Sangha in the middle, South Australia had lost three wickets in its second innings and was still 242 runs adrift of the victory target. But as Carey heaved, Sangha hauled. Both scored tons, and their double-century stand steadied the ship and ensured that, for the first time in 29 years, the Sheffield Shield was bound for South Australia. The winning run prompted an onrush from beyond the pickets that was reminiscent of the fabled finale to the 1996 final, when SA held on for a draw against WA. "Seeing the whole crowd run in — it felt like a dream out there, to be honest," a delighted and sweat-drenched Sangha reflected from the pavilion. "It's special, mate. Words can't explain it." The evening before, all seemed lost (to some of the supporters, at least). There was no red sky at night. Indeed, in its second innings, Queensland made hay while the sun shone. As Jack Wildermuth and Jack Clayton extended their side's lead, South Australia's bowlers were left looking as ragged and frayed as overused dishcloths. Hope seemed to evaporate even as the humidity increased, when strange cloud banks pushed over the city from the east with no apparent regard for Adelaide's predominantly westerly weather patterns. The drops were sparse but heavy, and their potential symbolism was ambiguous. Had the rain come to revive South Australia's hopes or wash them away? Queensland was dismissed on the stroke of stumps, and South Australia was left having to make history in its pursuit of victory — the target of 270 was more than any side had ever successfully chased in a Shield final. Confronted with that challenge, SA coach Ryan Harris conceded he "didn't sleep" on Friday night. When SA was reduced to 3 for 28 the following morning, collapse seemed imminent — but the captain never lost faith in his teammates. After the match, a beaming Nathan McSweeney said "everyone was still really confident" even as they succumbed to superstition and resorted to one of the game's compulsive rituals. "Cricket is a little bit weird," McSweeney quipped. "We all stayed in the same spot while [Jason and Alex] were batting — we didn't want to upset anything." For Harris, the Sangha-Carey partnership represented a triumph of the present over the past. "In previous times, last year, even before I got here, you lose three [wickets], you lose six — we haven't done that this year and that's why we're sitting where we are," he said. "We just knew we had to bat properly." A familiar face on the other side of the fence Among the spectators was former SA leg spinner Peter McIntyre. In the 1996 final, he took no wickets and scored six runs, but after he and batting partner Shane George combined for an unbeaten last-wicket stand, he emerged as one of the game's heroes. "It was just great to be part of the crowd and see the joy on all the fans' faces," McIntyre said of the more recent match. "I got a sense of what it was like for the fans when we won it. "I was in the stand with some friends and then I sort of said, 'I wonder if people are going to storm the ground like they did in '95/96?' Sure enough, they did." McIntyre is bullish about SA's ongoing prospects, given the depth of the squad and the players' proven ability to perform under pressure. Brendan Doggett's 11 wickets in the final secured player-of-the-match honours, and Jake Lehmann scored a fighting first-innings century. "Jake Lehmann has just blossomed. It's great to see," McIntyre said. "We've built a team of fast bowlers … [and] there are a couple of good spinners in there. The glow of long-awaited Shield glory could be here to stay.