Chadd Sayers could well be bowling himself into a surprise Ashes call-up and South Australia to victory in the Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA Ground.

Sayers hasn’t been talked about as a prospect to play in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane, but he is doing nothing to suggest he shouldn’t be in the mix with his performance in Perth.

The right-arm swing bowler picked up three quick wickets just before lunch on the fourth day to have WA reeling at 5-118, chasing 319 for victory, with captain Adam Voges at the crease not out on four and Mitchell Marsh yet to score.

Sayers claimed 3-1 in his seven-over spell before lunch as he picked up the wickets of John Rogers (31), Will Bosisto (0) and Cameron Bancroft (35).

Rogers left a ball that nipped back and didn’t bounce as much as he expected with Sayers cannoning the ball into the stumps before having Bosisto caught behind by Tim Ludeman and then opener Bancroft chopped the ball onto the stumps.

The 26-year-old Sayers was the leading wicket-taker in the Shield last season with 48 scalps at an average of 18, and he has a good match at the WACA with 3-67 in the first innings and even a handy 27 with the bat in South Australia’s second innings.

The Redbacks scored 326 in their second innings to set the Warriors 319 for the win and they suffered a blow late on day three when Trent Lawford dismissed Marcus North (37) and nightwatchman Jason Behrendorff (0).

WA began the day on 2-53 and Bancroft and Rogers did well adding a further 56 runs but then South Australian captain Johan Botha brought on Sayers to bowl, and the game instantly changed.

Suddenly, WA were 5-114 after being 2-109 and Voges and Marsh have moved the score to 5-118 at lunch.