The Queensland Bulls will host the Tasmanian Tigers at the Allan Border Field in the Shield Final starting on Friday this week.
The Bulls earned the right to host the final after topping the ladder. They won six of their ten matches this season, drawing three and losing one.
Tasmania secured second spot from Victoria after beating them in Hobart last week. That was also their fifth win of the Shield season, to go with two draws and three losses.
Queensland will enter the match as favourites, having beaten Tasmania comfortably both at home and away this season. They beat them by seven wickets in Hobart back in November and followed that up with a 206-run win at the Gabba last month.
The batting line-ups
Queensland have a strong batting line-up, led by Test discards Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns as openers.
After a slow start to the summer, Renshaw peeled off three Shield centuries in a row late in the season.
Burns has had a stellar Shield season, averaging 57, though he missed four matches after injuring his groin during the big Bash. That injury arguably cost him a spot in Australia’s touring squad to South Africa.
Number three Marnus Labuschagne is the Bulls’ Shield’s leading run scorer this season with 758 at 39. He comes into the final in form, having scored a century against New South Wales last week.
Jake Doran has been Tasmania’s standout performer with the bat, scoring 722 runs at 45.
The other Tasmanian batsmen have struggled for consistency, so Queensland look to have the edge in the run-scoring department.
The bowling line-ups
Michael Neser (37 wickets at 19), Luke Feldman (33 at 20) and leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson (32 at 34) have been the Bulls’ best performers with the ball this season.
For Tasmania, Tom Rogers (35 wickets at 17), Jackson Bird (35 at 20) and Simon Rainbird (35 at 27) have been the most effective.
The bowling line-ups look fairly even.
Prediction
Playing at home, the Bulls’ stronger batting line-up should secure them their eighth Shield title, and their first since the 2011-12 season.
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