The relatively unheralded pair - aided by a dream batting surface and lightning-fast outfield - put on 150 runs in 122 balls to set up a shock three-wicket triumph in Wollongong's first interstate cricket match.

They came together in the 25th over - with the visitors at 4-119 chasing 295 - and combined to take the game away from the star-studded NSW line-up.

South Australia were sitting pretty on 5-265 with 4.5 overs remaining when Klinger departed for 124 off 133 balls (including nine fours and four sixes), before Christian (90 not out off 73, including four fours and three sixes) overcame the late losses of Aaron O'Brien (11) and debutant Michael Cremner (3) to seal victory with two balls left.

Klinger deflected praise for the match-winning stand.

"Christo's innings was tremendous - to be honest, he was the one who finished it off," Klinger said.

"He gets very excited in any situation, but he kept his head really well and backed himself when he went hard.

"To bat with the maturity to get us home was an awesome effort."

The partnership would never have come about if Dominic Thornely held onto a caught-and-bowled chance when Christian was on six in the 30th over.

Thornely was one of seven bowlers NSW skipper Simon Katich called upon to try to stem the tide and finished with 1-20 off 5.4 overs.

The skipper finished with 0-18 off three at the death, while Nathan Bracken (1-52 off 10) was the pick of the NSW attack.

Mitchell Starc bagged 3-67, but Grant Lambert (0-54 off seven) and Moises Henriques (0-31 off four) had no answers to the South Australian savagery.

Steve Smith (1-49 off 10) had a solid day, top scoring with 92 as NSW amassed 294, before being dismissed off the last ball of the allotted 50 overs. Smith was supported by Thornely (51) and David Warner (65 off 40 balls) after the Blues experienced a nightmare start at the hands of tearaway quick Shaun Tait.

Phil Jaques' homecoming was ruined when he was bowled for a duck off the third ball after South Australia won the toss and elected to field under moody skies.

Katich and Henriques were also early victims of Tait, before Phil Hughes (15) fell to leave the Blues reeling at 4-49.

South Australia (12 points) remain last on the table, but are now just one point behind the Blues (13), who are locked in a three-way tie for third.