SYDNEY, Nov 17 AAP - A late flurry of wickets to former NSW allrounder Mark Higgs handed South Australia victory in a thrilling Pura Cup cricket match at the SCG today.

Higgs, recruited from the Blues in the off season, bagged four wickets under immense pressure, propelling his new state to a 27-run win in a match that had everything, including the placement of former Test star Mark Waugh on report for dissent.

Higgs' 4-25 from 9.4 overs helped bowl the star-studded home side out for 255 in its second innings, short of the 283-run target late on the final day.

That was after the Redbacks had already claimed first innings points with 397 on the back of man-of-the-match David Fitzgerald's fine 153 before NSW skipper Steve Waugh closed his side's first innings at 9(dec)-296.

Higgs top scored for SA's second innings of 181 with 70 but his finest moment came when he bowled Michael Bevan for 114 to end the match.

Test skipper Steve Waugh defended his decision to send South Australia in on a green wicket in gloomy conditions, which later turned fine, after winning the toss.

"The way the coin falls does not determine whether you win or lose a game," Waugh said.

"We bowled poorly first day, dropped some chances, and day four we batted poorly, we should have won the game so it's pretty simple - we threw it away today.

"But South Australia hung in there well, it was a good performance by them." SA skipper Darren Lehmann was thrilled with the win that put SA on par with Victoria at the top of the table on 14 points, two ahead of NSW, after an action-packed battle that included 18 wickets and 404 runs on day three.

"To beat a quality side with so many Test players in it like New South Wales and to come up here to Sydney with an inexperienced side, blokes who haven't been to Sydney before, we were really happy with that," Lehmann said.

"I think it was probably the best game of cricket I've played in for a long time, in Shield cricket, for pure entertainment for four days, to go down right to the last hour was fantastic."

Michael Slater joined Bevan in a 150-run partnership after the home side resumed on an unsteady 2-11.

Slater looked in good touch, stroking eight fours and a six to reach 91 before he was caught by Ben Higgins at short leg off the bowling of John Davison after lunch.

Steve Waugh was unable to repeat his first innings heroics as he fell lbw to Ben Johnson for just seven, a stark contrast to his earlier knock of 135.

Davison struck again when Mark Waugh was given out, caught behind by Shane Deitz for a duck.

The batsman clearly didn't like the decision, standing his ground for some time with one hand on his hip after the judgement was made and he was seen talking to umpire Darrell Hair as he left the field.

Hair called on the batsman to appear at a hearing before commissioner Alan Sullivan QC after play with a decision to be made later in the evening or another day.

Having bowled just one over before tea, Higgs was returned to the fray and the move paid off when Nathan Pilon (seven) smacked a full toss to Lehmann for a sharp catch at mid wicket.

Brett Lee may have starred with the ball, taking 11 wickets for the Blues, but he only managed one with the bat before being bowled by Higgs.

Harris finished with 2-37 while Davison added 2-67 to his first innings 5-81.

© 2002 AAP

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.