- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Since the final was introduced into the Sheffield Shield competition in 1982-83, there have only been a handful of close finishes.
There have been thrilling results and memorable matches despite big margins, like Queensland winning for the first time in 1994-95, or Victoria’s emotion-charged thrashing of Queensland in 2003-04 just two months after their coach, David Hookes, died.
However the matches that went down to the wire have been few and far between.
NSW beat Queensland by one wicket in 1984-85 as Carl Rackemann bowled himself into the ground for the Queenslanders searching for that elusive first title. They had a draw the next year, with NSW hanging on at home and claiming the shield.
After a 13-season drought, South Australia in front of a big home crowd, which grew as the afternoon continued, managed to stave off Western Australia to stonewall a draw. The last-wicket pair deprived Western Australia for more than an hour, with then-skipper Jamie Siddons batting 107 minutes for four runs.
However, there have been too many tame draws and conservative attitudes taken into the final, generally by the home team who finished on top after the home-and-away season and therefore only need a draw to win the competition.
Since the final started 32 years ago, there have only been five occasions where the visiting state has won: NSW three times, Queensland in 1996-97 and Western Australia in ’98-99.
Draws have also often been caused by flat wickets being prepared, as we had at the neutral Bellerive Oval during the week.
Victoria finished on top and earned the right to host the final, but with the MCG in World Cup mode and the Junction Oval deemed not at first-class standard, the Bushrangers chose Hobart, even though Cricket Australia rules state that if the top team doesn’t have a suitable venue to host the final, their opponents can (but that’s another issue).
The Bellerive pitch was like a road, with Western Australia having to make the running right throughout, and they did, but the Vics on the final day blocked all day to hoist the famous shield for the 29th time.
Their long-serving, out-going coach, Greg Shipperd, is conservative by nature and the Bushrangers were playing time, which got them in trouble on the fourth day as a lack of intent saw their first innings fall away alarmingly. But their experienced campaigners led the way on day five.
The final format means you have the potential for outstanding, attacking cricket being played in the last round to decide who clinches a finals spot. But do we want a flat pitch prepared where it will be impossible for the visiting team to get the 20 wickets they need to win? The answer has to be no.
If the final was to stay, do you make it at a neutral venue like Manuka in Canberra? Or – as former Tasmanian assistant coach and Australian bowling coach Ali De Winter said during the ABC’s coverage of the final – make it a match with a guaranteed outcome, like the old timeless Tests?
I think they should resort to the original format: whoever is on top after the 10 rounds of home-and-away fixtures wins the title.
There have been plenty of examples where the last round or even last match has decided the Shield.
In the last first-class match of Ian Chappell’s brilliant career, in 1980, South Australia was looking to draw against Victoria in Adelaide, but the Vics bowled them out and won.
In 1974, Jeff Thomson had hardly played a game for his original state NSW. However, they picked him for the last match of the season against what was to become his new home, Queensland, who needed to win to claim the Shield for the first time.
Greg Chappell was in charge of Queensland for the first time that season and they had charged from bottom to top, but Thommo ripped through them, giving the shield to Victoria.
There have been examples with that format where the title is decided with a few rounds left, but unless they make changes to the concept of the Shield final, our domestic competition’s showpiece will continue to largely be a drab affair.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.