The Queensland Bulls have all but secured hosting rights to the Sheffield Shield final after a crushing victory Western Australia, while the other spot will be fought out in a winner takes all duel. These are all the key points from Round 9 of the competition.
Queensland book hosting rights to Shield final
With just a single match remaining for all six states, the Queensland Bulls have more than an eight-point lead at the top of the competition.
Given there are six points for a win to go with bonus points (which Queensland should get regardless of result), it is almost unthinkable Queensland would not host the final at this point.
It follows another crushing win, with the Bulls finishing the season in fantastic form. They overcame the Western Australia Warriors by 211 runs in the second last round of the season, knocking them over for just 93 in the final innings of the match.
While their first innings effort wasn’t so convincing, setting up the match through another big Matt Renshaw tonne was.
Youngster Charlie Hemphrey was also impressive for the Bulls, scoring a not out century in the first and then 68 in the second dig.
In short, the Bulls seem like a team in form and with home ground advantage all but secured for the final, must be red-hot favourites to win the competition.
Victoria and Tasmania set to play knockout match in Hobart
While the Bulls have their spot secured in the final, the other will be battled out in Hobart.
Tasmania and Victoria, running second and third will face off during the final round of competition, with the two sides separated by just .18 of a point.
It’s incredibly tight and given Blundstone Arena is a result wicket more often than not, it seems only rain could stop either of these sides qualifying.
Even then, like the Bulls, they have an eight-point gap back to the next team on the table, being the fourth-placed New South Wales Blues who have no guarantee of beating the league-leading Bulls anyway.
Obviously, whoever wins, goes to the final. If it was to be drawn, then it will come down to bonus points, so every run over 200 and wicket in the first innings is going to be absolutely crucial for both sides in the pursuit for the final if weather does intervene.
Both sides have been in good form, claiming close wins in Round 9. The Tigers beat South Australia by just 16 runs, while the Victorians beat New South Wales by 23.
Matt Renshaw strikes again
The turn around in form of former Australian opener Matt Renshaw has been startling over the second half of the Shield season.
The first half was a disaster, but since he began to score runs, his scores have been 4, 51 not out, 56, 32, 170, 0, 112, 12, 3 and 143 not out. It means he has 583 runs at 72.87 in his last five matches.
While some not outs help to distort the average slightly, Renshaw has three centuries and another two half-centuries in that space of time and no matter what attacks he is facing, it’s clear the break from cricket over the New Year period has done him the world of good.
His form has been superb and if Queensland are to win the competition, Renshaw must play a major role – which, to be fair, I’ve said three weeks in a row, but he just continues to drive the point home, heaping pressure on other openers with Australian aspirations.
New South Wales Test aspirants don’t cut it
While the Blues have a heap of players in South Africa, their performances since they left just haven’t cut it.
This is a team with plenty of players who would love to be donning the Baggy Green, yet a team who can’t even beat Victoria at the Junction Oval.
While it came down to the wire, the Blues should have been further ahead. Regular wickets when batting though, combined with an attack lacking any sort of penetration have killed them in their pursuit to play in Australia’s biggest domestic match for the season.
While Steven O’Keefe was strong, taking match figures of 10 for 152 from 64.1 overs, he received no support with the ball. While there were plenty of starts with the bat from the likes of Daniel Hughes, Kurtis Patterson, Ed Cowan, Kurtis Patterson and Moises Henriques, no one could go on with it and in the end, it was the difference. On the other hand, Marcus Harris in the first and then Travis Dean in the second made centuries for the visitors.
Could Travis Head ever have a Test cricket career?
There are times gone by when calls have been made for South Australian captain and middle order batsman Travis Head to be considered for the national team.
Head is an expert white ball player – something we have seen in both the international ODI and T20 arenas, yet, he hasn’t quite made the switch to performing consistently in the Shield as yet.
The 24-year-old has a career first-class average of just 36.07, which is never going to land you in the Australian Test team.
A good 85 against Queensland last round, as well as 145 against Tasmania in Round 9 has put Head in some very solid form. He doesn’t appear to be on the radar for national selection at the moment, and without a Sheffield Shield final to aim at, there is nothing to play for except more runs in the final match.
Head’s natural aggression makes him a perfect fit down the order, while his part time off spin also adds versatility to any team he plays in.
Despite that, he needs to focus on the red ball side of the game and have a big season in 2018-19, because at his age, the window of opportunity for a Baggy Green – barring any Mike Hussey like form runs – is running out.
Here is all the key information you need to know heading into Round 10.
Sheffield Shield ladder
1. Queensland Bulls – 47.87
2. Tasmania Tigers – 39.29
3. Victoria Bushrangers – 39.11
4. New South Wales Blues – 31.79
5. Western Australia – 28.54
6. South Australia – 28.03
Round 10 fixtures (times AEDT)
Wednesday March 14 – Saturday March 17: Tasmania vs Victoria at Blundstone Arena, Hobart
Wednesday March 14 – Saturday March 17: New South Wales vs Queensland at North Dalton Park, Wollongong
Wednesday March 14 – Saturday March 17: South Australia vs Western Australia at Gilderol Stadium, Glenelg
The Sheffield Shield grand final will begin on Friday, March 23.
Roarers, what did you make of Round 9? Drop a comment and let us know.
Don Freo
Guest
I remember in the BBL (might have been the JLT ODD) being impressed by how fast his wrists were, particularly square on the off side.
Perry Bridge
Guest
And he can throw the bat a bit too. But gee - those Dukes after day 1 have really been hooping around at Bellerive - a couple of batters a little loose outside off but you can see in those very English overcast conditions how difficult it is for Australian batters not used to it. Rogers to tour England in '19??
Don Freo
Guest
If I had to pick the next fast/medium bowling all-rounder, I think Tom Rogers might have gone past Jake Wildermuth. Gee we have some great depth.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Gee that ball was hooping around for Fekete. Heading for middle and off and catching the edge outside the line of off - Siddle first ball was a pearl.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Alas at 4/48 chasing 344 on the first innings - I think the Bushrangers have just conceded!!
Peter Zitterschlager
Guest
Great wrap. And go Vics!
Don Freo
Guest
Mind you, Joel Paris is finally back. Could be a result for WA after all.
qwetzen
Guest
"I don’t see that NSW answer is looking to discards in other states." Nope (well, apart from Nevill) they prefer other countries discards. ie. Henriques, O'Keefe & Uppal.... :-) But seriously, 'Yes', NSW have done a lousy job of bringing the next gen through. How they stuck with the likes of Maddinson for so many seasons can only be explained by CNSW being a thoroughly political organisation. Their current Shield side is comfortably the worst NSW team I've ever seen.
JohnB
Guest
It's not WA they would have been worried about but Vic and Tas. There were permutations under which the one point for the draw could have seen them finish first without winning v NSW - and permutations where if they didn't get the point both Tas and Vic could pass them with Qld losing badly to NSW and a high and quick scoring draw between Vic and Tas. Likely? No. Impossible? Also no. As it was, they took a gamble and won - no complaints from me!
Rellum
Roar Guru
QLD had nothing to lose chasing the points. Even if WA got the outright they were to far behind to be a threat and it was very unlikely they would have got the points unless Short went crazy.
JohnB
Guest
No bonus points in the second innings BB. Their choice was to bat on, set an almost impossible target and secure the point for the draw while retaining the possibility that WA would fall over chasing the target, because they had no choice but to do so. I thought the declaration was generous at the time, given they'd made 2-250 and seemed untroubled. Mind you, I also thought at the start of the season that Tas and Qld would be in the last 2 spots on the ladder.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I would be picking Doggertt, I have a feeling the QLD hierarchy may go with experience, assuming they get a say.
Max Mayer
Roar Guru
Absolutely fantastic win by the Bulls and great to see them go for it as well.. As RM previously said, they could easily have just batted WA out of the game, given Renshaw a shot at a double ton and used the remainder of the afternoon to rack up bonus points but they chose to go for it and it paid off big time. Have really liked what Wade Seccombe has done with this team in terms of their attitude and credit must also to Jimmy Peirson captaining the team in what is still only his first season in the first choice XI, having taken over the gloves from Hartley last year. Looking forward to the final and will be watching the Bushrangers-Tigers game with great interest. The Tigers resurgence this season under their new coach has been the other major talking point. Who would have thought at the start of the season that we would have had Queensland and Tasmania on top of the Shield table with a round to play?
Max Mayer
Roar Guru
which of Steketee or Doggett will get the third seamers spot for the final. Would think Doggett would be a clear in for the Final ahead of Steketee, who Peirson seemed a bit reluctant to throw the ball to in the second innings, even when Wildermuth came off injured. Steketee wouldn't be a terrible option but Doggett has been consistently the better bowler in his debut season.
Peter
Guest
Hey Scott - "While Steven O’Keefe was strong, taking match figures of 10 for 152 from 64.1 overs, he received no support with the ball." Did you watch that game at all. Did you not see Trent Copeland bowling! "Copeland claimed 5-59 from 24.1 overs was the main destroyer for NSW as it dismissed Victoria for 280 mid-way through the third day." And "The Redbacks were 7 for 141 at one stage and were looking at a significant first-innings deficit. Trent Copeland had taken four of the first seven scalps for the home side." NSW leading bowler with 25 @ 27.80... Credit where credit is due
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I don't see that NSW answer is looking to discards in other states. They've definitely dropped the ball though. Sure, they are the best team in the country when all the Australian players are available, but most of those guys play very few games for NSW, so that's not really an excuse, they should be working on bringing through the next generation of players. It's hard to believe there aren't any better young batsmen in NSW than what they've been trotting out of late, and does the pace production line really stop at Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins?
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Same for NSW, they comfortably won their first three games with all the Aussie players available, and haven't won a match since, with just 1 draw. Although, I'd say there should be less excuses for NSW. Most of those players have been mainstays of the Aussie team for a while now, and NSW should have been doing a much better job of bringing along the next generation.
Don Freo
Guest
Now you are being silly. Short and Wells are not "future Australian players". I have said for ages that Cartwright is not as good as other WA batsmen like Turner or Whiteman. (Turner has been good). Players like Bosisto, Phillipe, Wells, Guthrie, Bevilaqua, Short...are not going to win 4 day games. When the Marshes and Richo were there, we were in the top 2. We all know this is about WA's 4th side. Their 2nd and 3rd sides were doing OK.
Rellum
Roar Guru
There are still plenty of players there that did not perform this year that should have, guys you have stated are future Aus players. Guys like Short, Cartwright, Turner, Wells, Kelly and Mackin to name a few from the last game. Even the Marsh brothers and Richardson didn't blow away the comp when they were playing. NSW, WA and SA are the big disappointments of the year. Vic's have clung in there even though they lost a bit of talent this year.
Don Freo
Guest
Glenelg is a drawn game. That pitch has never taken 40 wickets in 4 days.