New South Wales 183 & 99 for 6 (McAndrew 4-19) trail South Australia 293 & 212 (McSweeney 100, Nisbet 5-53) by 223 runs
The Blues went to stumps on day three at Adelaide Oval on 99 for 6, still needing 224 more runs to chase down their fourth-innings target of 323.
After taking 5 for 42 in the first innings, McAndrew was again the main destroyer on Tuesday as he took four wickets for the Redbacks to leave the Blues in trouble.
Former Blue Harry Conway and Wes Agar also chimed in with one wicket each. NSW wicketkeeper Matthew Gilkes was left fuming when given out lbw to Agar to a ball that appeared to hit him outside off stump late in the day, swinging his bat in anger as he walked up the players’ race.
McAndrew’s wickets included Daniel Hughes in the shadows of stumps, caught behind on 58 after being close to the last resistance for the Blues.
McAndrew also trapped Kurtis Patterson lbw for 10, and had Ryan Hackney and Moises Henriques caught behind cheaply in similar fashion.
At one stage McAndrew had figures of 3 for 6 after eight overs, before Hughes hit him for back-to-back boundaries through the offside. The seamer finished the day with 4 for 19.
Born in Wollongong and a Sydney Thunder player in the BBL, McAndrew was never given the chance to represent NSW in the Sheffield Shield. But after making his debut for the Redbacks two seasons ago, he has proven a nemesis for the Blues. He took 6 for 97 against NSW at the end of last summer, before his nine wickets in this match.
But it was McSweeney who stole the show for the hosts, scoring his third first-class century before being bowled by Nisbet for an even 100.
McSweeney was the last man out for the Redbacks when he dragged a ball back onto his own stumps, after going from 72 to 100 with No.11 Conway down the other end.
The Redbacks had lost their first-round match to Tasmania, but have been much improved with the ball in this match.
NSW have not won a match in the Shield since way back in February 2022, after going without a victory last season and drawing with Queensland in the opening round of this summer.