A thrilling final round of the 2015-16 Sheffield Shield saw four teams in with a realistic chance of going to the finals. Now it’s time to take stock of the season that was and assess the chances of the two finalists, South Australia and Victoria.
Victoria – 6.5/10
After a great start to the season, prior to the Big Bash interlude, Victoria struggled to post a competitive score throughout their final games of the season.
Travis Dean, Peter Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis all entered the second half of the season with a batting average of 45 or more, but ended the season struggling for runs, Stoinis alone managed to notch a century against NSW in the final round to keep his side in the match.
If Victoria are to stand any chance in the final at Glenelg, which is certain to be a batting friendly pitch given the particularities of the Shield final (the hosts only need draw to take home the Shield), they will need at least one of these three young batsmen to make runs.
On the bowling front, Victoria’s two fast bowling stalwarts, Scott Boland and Chris Tremain have been solid all season, both among the top-ten wicket takers, and are averaging under 20, which shows their consistency. Fawad Ahmed has been less consistent and less threatening than last season when he topped the wicket takers table, but is still a handy spinner to complement a good bowling line-up.
With John Hastings at the T20 World cup and Peter Siddle and James Pattinson out injured, the Vics have struggled to find a reliable third seamer – Clint McKay and Jake Reed both tried without much success. It remains to be seen who will fill that role in the final, but whoever it is can expect to get some overs under their belt.
The biggest positive for Victoria over the season has been unearthing Travis Dean. The youngster filled the very large shoes of Chris Rogers admirably and complements a balanced batting line-up that, although misfiring recently, has the potential to dominate the Shield for seasons to come.
Veterans Rob Quiney and Cameron White still have a few seasons left, and can mentor the younger batsmen, while Stoinis, Handscomb and Matthew Wade are coming into their prime.
All-rounder Dan Christian had a poor season with the bat and will be looking over his shoulder at younger players such as Seb Gotch. When Glenn Maxwell is available to play, he automatically comes in for Christian.
South Australia – 6.5/10
South Australia have had an inconsistent year, with big wins coming in between heavy losses. They will be encouraged by the recent form of their captain, Travis Head, who has scored centuries in his last few matches and is really starting to fulfill his potential.
Jake Lehmann had a breakout season and looks to be a fantastic middle-order prospect. Alex Ross was inconsistent but showed glimpses of the form that saw him crowned Bradman Young player of the year. SA will do well to stick with him and let him mature with his spot secure in the side.
At the top of the order, SA have really struggled, with veterans Tom Cooper and Mark Cosgrove having poor seasons, and younger batsmen Sam Raphael and Jake Weatherald not taking immediately to their roles and scoring runs. Tim Ludeman also lost his spot in the team to Alex Carey, who hasn’t been able to improve on Ludeman’s record.
It is in the bowling stakes that SA have really shined, with Joe Mennie outstanding all season, finishing way on top of the wicket takers list with 48 scalps at 19. He has been ably supported by Daniel Worrall and Chadd Sayers, who has gotten better as the season has gone on.
With Adam Zampa having left to have a go at T20 at the World Cup, SA don’t have too many other spin options. Tom Andrews has been tried and hasn’t looked totally out of his depths, so may be persisted with for the final and whenever Zampa is away on national duties.
Verdict for the final
As hosts, SA have the marked advantage of being able to draw and still take home the Shield. This alone would make them favourites, however, when you combine that with their sparkling form from their match against Tasmania, contrasted with the poor form of the Vics over the past three matches, it’s hard to see Victoria pulling off a win.
Having said that, SA has had a fragile batting order all season and if Victoria can get rid of the in-form Head and reliable Lehmann, they may be able to knock over SA for a small total. Boland and Tremain have been doing it all season, so it is not beyond them.
Victoria’s underperforming batting order would have to reverse their fortunes against a stellar bowling line up of Mennie, Sayers and Worrall- not out of the question, but a tough ask.
Check back in tomorrow when I run the rule over the rest of the teams’ seasons.
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