Bingo!
As for WA stonewalling against NSW, they were playing to ensure their spot in the final. Simple as that. Poor form, but effective
The same tactics were used against them in the final. Had they had a bit of a go in the previous match maybe they would have had the advantage in the final.
Clearly bat has had too much of an advantage over ball in this tournament. The previous summer, the Shield was played on greentops. I think teams occasionally getting bowled out for 150 is better than teams batting for 200+ overs. The winning team in the Sheffield Shield batted for 249 overs all up, at just a shade over 2 runs an over. If they should wonder why few of their players get selected to play for Australia, look no further.
At the same time this match was being played, we saw NZ score 299 runs off 43 overs against a world class bowling attack in front of 45,000 people.