South Australia emerged victorious for the first time this season after Matthew Elliott anchored their chase against NSW in a match both sides did their best to lose.

Set 234 to win on a green-tinged pitch that offered some assistance to all bowlers, the Redbacks' edgy win was largely due to a high quality innings of 83 (113 balls) by opener Elliott.

Mark Cosgrove (51) also made a telling contribution, but their dismissals created a nervous finish in which Graham Manou (16 not out) and Andy Delmont (10 not out) were forced to wait until the final ball to nudge the winning runs.

"Massive for us, it was a bit of a weird game because both teams tried their hardest to lose it," Elliott said.

"Hopefully now we've got that tucked away we'll just relax and really play well over the next four days (in the Pura Cup) against these blokes starting Friday."

Blues captain Simon Katich, whose team is yet to win in four limited overs outings this season, said the last few overs had provided frayed nerves on both sides.

"Both teams came into this game not performing as well as they'd like so it was pretty even in that respect," he said.

"We saw an opportunity there to create some pressure and that helped us get back in the game."

Some poor SA fielding and a pair of batting cameos had allowed NSW to post 7-233.

Sent in to bat, the Blues were a wobbly 3-97 before Katich (50 in 56 balls) and Dom Thornely (68 in 65 balls) swelled the total.

Daniel Cullen (3-47), Jason Gillespie (0-31) and Ryan Harris (0-34) all delivered quality spells for the Redbacks but they were let down by teammates who turfed three catches and missed one clear run out chance.

Chasing more runs that they should have been set, SA began in surprisingly serene fashion against left-armers Nathan Bracken and Doug Bollinger.

Elliott played efficiently in the company of Daniel Harris (19) until Harris flicked nonchalantly at Grant Lambert and was held at deep square leg.

No.3 Cosgrove began uncertainly against some well-directed bouncers from Mark Cameron and gave a sharp chance to leg gully, but from there played a string of bright shots.

One pulled six was as clean as any hit this summer, and only 54 balls were required for Cosgrove to pass 50.

Given his form a century looked probable, but on 51 he swung lustily but not cleanly at left-arm spinner Stephen O'Keefe (2-34) and long on accepted the catch.

Struggling skipper Nathan Adcock (eight) was bowled trying to heave across the line, and Elliott, who survived a stumping chance from Nathan Hauritz (1-45) on 54, eventually miscued a sweep to be caught behind and set-up the nervous conclusion.

Thornely and Katich earlier played decently in testing conditions - with considerable help from SA's fielders - to set a fair target.

Katich was given an almighty reprieve on 45 when a mid-pitch slip looked certain to end in a run out, but Delmont's wild and low return to Manou allowed Katich to scamper home.

Dropped at long off by Mark Cleary on 22, Thornely hit cleanly and well in the final overs.

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