Monday, 10 December 2018:

NSW remain in the box seat to secure a Sheffield Shield finals berth despite a stubborn South Australia salvaging a draw at the SCG.

The Blues remain in second spot with four games remaining and heading into the mid-season break. The Redbacks finished at 6-239 in their second dig thanks to patient knocks by Jake Lehmann (67 off 157) and Callum Ferguson (36 off 137).

There were a few nervous moments late on on Monday after Lehmann chopped on Greg West and Tom Cooper (10) swatted the debutant NSW paceman to mid-on, however the winless Redbacks did enough to survive until stumps.

After coming together at 3-100 in the second session, Lehmann and Ferguson batted for 44 overs and put on 102 runs to save their side, before Ferguson was dismissed off a sharp catch by Moises Henriques at silly point.

Spinner Steve O'Keefe took four of the Blues' wickets, however the NSW attack otherwise failed to make inroads on a flat wicket.

"We feel a little bit deflated but we gave it everything, though," skipper Peter Nevill said.

"Unfortunately, we just couldn't quite bowl them out.

"There were some nice cracks there, some pancakes of footmarks that Stephen O'Keefe tried to utilise, but I thought (the pitch) would do a little more than what it ended up doing."

The Blues' first innings of 8(dec)-541 - via centuries to Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin and a 99 to Henriques - gave them a healthy first-innings lead.

And NSW came into Monday with a chance to push for a win with the Redbacks needing 162 just to make the home side bat again.

Former Test tweaker O'Keefe (4-88) removed openers Jake Weatherald (36) and Conor McInerney (22) before lunch to give his side a sniff of victory.

Kelvin Smith (22) was the only wicket to fall in the second session before Lehmann and Ferguson steadied the ship.

With the game on the line, the run rate dried up to a trickle as they refused to take any chances or give NSW any opportunities.

The result leaves the Redbacks winless and on the bottom of the ladder with four draws and two losses.

"Fully frustrated," Lehmann said.

"The cricket we've been playing for two-and-a-half days has been great and then absolutely shocking for a day-and-a-half.

"We've got a much better group in South Australia than that. But they're the facts."

AAP