As a founding member of the competition, Victoria have been second to only NSW with 32 titles and a very strong presence over the past decade.

Set out below is the state’s greatest ever Shield XI, plus second and third sides. See my previous article for the rules of selection. Remember that selection is solely based on a player’s career performance in the Sheffield Shield.

Check out previous entries in the series here.

Openers

Bill Ponsford
1923-1934. 43 matches. 5,413 runs at 83.27. Victoria won six titles during his career.

Bill Ponsford is the best Sheffield Shield batsman in history not called Bradman. An average over 83 and top score of 437 demonstrate that, but if you need further convincing, Ponsford holds the three highest ever scores for Victoria, which equals numbers two, eight and ten in overall Shield history.

Ponsford topped the Shield season scorers in 1923/24 in his debut season to win the title. He then topped the Victorian season run-scorers the following year again to win the title.

He then topped the Shield season runs in 1926/27 and 1927/28. In the latter year, Victoria won the title and Ponsford’s season mark of 1,217 runs stood as the Shield season record for 55 years.

Ponsford’s career average has only been bettered by Bradman and by the great Barry Richards, who only played one season in the competition.

Matthew Elliott
1993-2005. 103 matches. 9,470 runs at 52.32. 203 top score. Victoria won one title during his career. 125 catches.

Matthew Elliott topped the Shield season runs four times – in 1995/96, 1998/99, 1999/00 and 2003/04. In that last season Elliott scored 155 in the Shield final win over Queensland.

Elliott owns the sixth most career Shield runs, fifth most career hundreds, and the fourth most career scores over 50. His 2003/04 season mark of 1,381 runs is the third most series runs in Shield history. On top of that he took the ninth most career catches.

Middle Order

Jack Ryder
1912-1932. 60 matches. 4,613 runs at 50.14. 127 wickets at 27.69. Victoria won seven titles during his career.

It was so hard to leave out Dean Jones, but Jack Ryder cannot be ignored. In 1914/15 Ryder topped the Shield season run scorers and scored 151 in a must-win final match to win the title. He again topped the Shield season run scorers as Victoria won the 1921/22 title. And eight years later he topped the Victoria season runs in their 1929/30 title win.

And on top of that, he also took over 125 wickets at an excellent average.

Brad Hodge
1993-2009. 140 matches. 10,474 runs at 45.34. Victoria won two titles during his career.

The fact that Hodge makes this team shows how little opportunity he got for higher honours. Hodge played the seventh most matches in Shield history and scored the fifth most Shield career runs and the most for Victoria. He has the tenth most hundreds and sixth most scores over 50.

In 2005/06 Hodge scored a century in Victoria’s Shield final loss to Queensland. In 2007/08 he scored 84 in the first innings of their Shield final loss to NSW. Finally in 2008/09 Hodge scored a half century in a Shield final draw with Queensland to win the title.

Lindsay Hassett
1933-1953. 58 matches. 5,535 runs at 63.62. Victoria won five titles during his career.

Lindsay Hassett was a champion batsman and excellent captain who boasts the eighth highest Shield average in history. Hassett topped the Shield season runs in Victoria’s 1950/51 title win.

Warwick Armstrong
1899-1922. 59 matches. 4,997 runs at 50.47. 177 wickets at 24.12. Victoria won five titles during his career.

The Big Ship on pure figures could be the Shield’s greatest ever all-rounder, up there with Monty Noble.

In 1900/01 Armstrong scored the most runs for Victoria in their title win. In 1907/08 he scored a century in the winner-takes-all final game versus NSW to take the title. To showcase his all-round talents he topped the Shield season wickets in 1910/11 and topped the Shield season runs the following year.

Wicketkeeper

Darren Berry
1990-2004. 129 matches. 3,816 runs at 22.57. Victoria won two titles during his career. 468 catches and 44 stumpings.

I nearly had to pick Matthew Wade here (see his record in Shield finals below), but thankfully I couldn’t go past the superior wicketkeeping of Darren Berry, who holds the record for most career dismissals in the Sheffield Shield.

In 1999/2000 Berry took 54 dismissals, the fifth most in a Shield season. His has played the ninth most career matches in the competition.

Bowlers

Just one spinner for the Victorians, but what a player! And no, it’s not Shane Warne.

Chuck Fleetwood-Smith
1932-1940. 41 matches. 246 wickets at 24.52 average and 47.00 strike rate. Victoria won three titles during his career.

What an amazing strike rate for a spinner. Fleetwood-Smith topped the Shield season wickets for three years in a row from 1933/34 to 1935/36 and each time Victoria won the title. Fleetwood-Smith took six wickets in the first innings of the winner-takes-all final match against South Australia in 1936/37.

His best match figures of 15 for 96 are the third best in Shield history, and he also holds the sixth best. He has the tenth best career strike rate (minimum 20 matches), the third most career five-wicket hauls in an innings, the second most ten-wicket hauls in a match – and all from only 44 games.

Fleetwood-Smith’s 1934/35 tally of 60 wickets is the fourth highest series total in history, and stood as the record for 63 years.

Chris Tremain
2014-present. 48 matches. 193 wickets at 23.24 average and 45.7 strike rate. Victoria have won four titles during his career to date. (Current to 21 October 2019)

Victoria’s current crop of excellent fast bowlers is headed up by Chris Tremain. Tremain topped the Victorian season wickets in their 2015/16 title win. He went on to top the overall season Shield wickets in 2017-18.

To show his quality, Tremain has the seventh best career strike rate in Shield history (minimum 20 matches).

James Pattinson
2008-present. 33 matches. 733 runs at 19.81. 124 wickets at 23.08 average and 44.0 strike rate. Victoria have won six titles during his career, although he not been present for most of them. (Current to 21 October 2019)

Joining Tremain from the current ranks is the superb but injury-prone James Pattinson. In 2016-17 Pattinson showcased his batting skills to score a first innings 80 in Victoria’s Shield final draw to win over South Australia. Then in 2018-19 Pattinson took seven wickets in the Shield final win over NSW.

And if you thought Tremain’s strike rate was good, Pattinson has the third best career strike rate in Shield history (minimum 20 matches).

Peter Siddle
2007-present. 54 matches. 203 wickets at 25.03 average and 52.2 strike rate. Victoria have won six titles during his career. (Current to 21 October 2019)

To complete the trifecta of current fast bowlers, we have Peter Siddle. In 2007/08 Siddle took nine wickets in Victoria’s Shield final loss to NSW. Eleven years later in 2018-19 he took five first-innings wickets in the team’s Shield final win over NSW.

Second XI
1. Marcus Harris: 2016-present. 33 matches. 2,895 runs at 51.69. Two titles. Harris is a big-game specialist at domestic level and is coming off a brilliant season. For Western Australia in 2014/15 he scored 81 in the first innings and 158 in the second innings of the Shield final draw to lose against Victoria. For Victoria in 2016-17 he topped the state’s season runs and scored a first-innings century in the Shield final draw to win over SA. In 2018-19 he topped the Shield season runs and scored 141 in the Shield final first innings for a win over NSW. (Current to 21 October 2019)

2. Bill Lawry: 1956-1972. 85 matches. 6,615 runs at 52.92. 266 top score. Three titles. 56 games as captain. Topped Shield season runs 1960/61 and 1961/62.

3. Dean Jones: 1982-1998. 110 matches. 9,622 runs at 54.05. 324 not out top score. One title. 96 catches. 39 games as captain. Topped the Shield season runs in 1994/95 with 1,216 – the eighth most in history. Eleventh most career Shield runs. Sixth most career hundreds. Tenth most career scores of more than 50.

4. Bill Woodfull: 1922-1934. 39 matches. 3,620 runs at 67.03. 236 top score. Seven titles. 22 games as captain. Topped Shield season runs in 1922/23 and 1925/26. Sixth highest career average in Shield history.

5. Bob Cowper: 1960-1970. 56 matches. 4,040 runs at 56.11. Three titles. 57 wickets at 40.47. Topped Shield season runs in Victoria’s 1962/63 title win.

6. Andrew Mcdonald: 2002-2012. 69 matches. 3,515 runs at 41.35. 162 wickets at 28.02. Three titles.

7. Matthew Wade. 2007-2016. 75 matches. 3,905 runs at 41.10. Four titles. 271 catches and seven stumpings. In 2008/09, he scored a first-innings half century in the Shield final draw to win the title over Queensland. In 2009/10, he scored a first-innings half century (top score) in a Shield final win over Queensland. For Tasmania in 2017-18, he scored a century in the Shield final loss to Queensland. Eighth most career dismissals.

8. Hugh Trumble: 1892-1903. 30 matches. 1,150 runs at 22.54. 159 wickets at 20.92 average and 59.0 strike rate. Five titles. Top wickets for Victoria in 1892/93 – the state’s first Shield season title. Top Shield season wickets in 1898/99 title win. Third best career average (minimum 20 matches). Seventh most career ten-wicket hauls.

9. Paul Reiffel: 1988-2002. 86 matches. 1,819 runs at 21.15. 318 wickets at 25.91 average and 60.1 strike rate. Topped Shield season wickets 1990/91 for title win. In 1999/2000, topped Shield wickets and took nine wickets in the final draw to lose the title against Queensland. Thirteenth most career wickets in Shield history. Fifty-nine wickets in 1999/2000 season – the seventh most series wickets.

10. Jack Saunders: 1899-1910. 37 matches. 196 wickets at 26.16 average and 52.0 strike rate. Three titles. Topped Shield season wickets in Victoria’s 1900/01 title win. Topped Shield season wickets in 1905/06. In 1907/08, he took six wickets in the second innings to win the winner-takes-all final game against NSW and topped the Shield season wickets. Ninth most career five-wicket hails in an innings and seventh most career ten-wicket hauls in a match. Very unlucky.

11. Ian Meckiff: 1956-1963. 33 matches. 146 wickets at 23.04 average and 57.3 strike rate. One title. Topped Shield season wickets in 1962/63 title win.

Third XI
1. Ken Eastwood: 1960-1971. 35 matches. 2,492 runs at 46.16. Three titles. Topped Victoria season runs in 1969/70 title win.

2. Paul Sheahan: 1965-1974. 39 matches. 3,191 runs at 55.98. Top score 202. Three titles.

3. Graham Yallop: 1972-1985. 76 matches. 5,881 runs at 46.67. 246 top score. Four titles. 27 games as captain. Topped Shield season runs in 1982/83 with 1,254 runs – the fifth most in history.

4. David Hussey: 2003-2015. 105 matches. 7,476 runs at 45.58. 212 not out top score. Four titles. 138 catches. In 2008/09, he scored a century in the Shield final draw to win the title over Queensland. In 2009/10, he topped the Shield season runs and scored a second-innings century in the Shield final win over Queensland. Tenth most career catches.

5. Cameron White: 2001-present. 135 matches. 7,453 runs at 36.17. 141 wickets at 41.07. Victoria have won seven titles during his career to date. Seventy-seven games as captain. 185 catches. In 2003/04, he scored a half century and took four first-innings wickets in the Shield final win over Queensland. In 2008/09, he scored a century and a half century in the Shield final draw to win the title over Queensland. In 2009/10, he scored a second-innings half century in the Shield final win over Queensland. In 2015/16, he scored a half century in the Shield final away win over South Australia. Third most career catches. Third most career matches as captain.

6. Sam Loxton: 1946-1958. 66 matches. 3,157 at 36.28. 130 at 23.9 average and 60.3 strike rate. Two titles.

7. Richie Robinson: 1971-1981. 68 matches. 3,407 runs at 39.16. Three titles. 212 catches and 26 stumpings. 21 games as captain. 18th most career dismissals.

8. Bert Ironmonger: 1914-1934. 44 matches. 215 wickets at 24.60. Eight titles but not selected in all. Topped season Shield wickets in 1914/15 title win. Topped Victoria season wickets in 1929/20 Shield win 15 years later, including eight wickets in must-win final match. Topped Shield season wickets in 1930/31 title win. Seventh most career ten wickets in a match.

9. Alan Hurst: 1972-1979. 44 matches. 177 wickets at 26.48 average and 54.8 strike rate. Two titles. In 1977/78, he took nine wickets in must-win final game for title win.

10. John Hastings: 2009-2016. 42 matches. 1,209 runs at 22.81. 138 wickets at 24.75 average and 54.6 strike rate. Three titles. In 2009/10, he topped Victoria’s season wickets in title win.

11. Alan Connolly: 1959-1970. 71 matches. 297 wickets at 26.07 average and 60.5 strike rate. Three titles. Topped Victoria season wickets in their 1966/67 title win. Topped Shield season wickets in 1967/68. 18th all time most career wickets. Best figures of 9 for 57 is the tenth best in Shield history. Seventh most career ten wickets in a match.

Other notables and one-offs
Albert Hartkopf. Topped Shield season wickets in 1923/24 title win. Topped Victoria season wickets in 1924/25 title win.

Doug Blackie. Topped Shield season wickets in 1926/27. Topped Victoria season wickets 1927/28 title win.

Keith Rigg. Topped Victoria season runs in 1930/31 title win. Topped Shield season runs in 1936/37 title win.

Len Darling. Topped Victoria season runs in both their 1933/34 and 1934/35 title wins.

Ray Harvey. 1947-1957. 52 matches. 4,147 runs at 50.57. Top score 209. Two titles.

Ian Johnson. Topped Victoria season wickets in 1950/51 title win. Topped Shield season wickets in 1953/54.

Jim Higgs. Topped Shield season wickets in 1974/75. Topped Victoria season wickets in 1977/78 title win.

Jeff Moss. Topped Victoria season runs in both 1977/78 and 1979/80 title wins.

Mick Lewis. In 2000/01, took five wickets in first innings of Shield final loss to Queensland. In 2003/04, topped Victoria season wickets and took six second-innings wickets and seven in the match in Shield final win over Queensland.

Nick Jewell. A consistent finals performer. In 2005/06, scored 89 and 69 in Shield final loss to Queensland. In 2007/08, scored 99 in the second innings of the Shield final loss to NSW. In 2008/09, scored a half century in Shield final draw to win title over Queensland. And in 2009/10, scored a second-innings half century in Shield final win over Queensland.

Marcus Stoinis. In 2014/15, topped Victoria’s season runs in title win. In 2015/16, scored second-innings half century in Shield final away win over South Australia.

Travis Dean. In 2015/16 on debut, topped Victoria’s season runs and scored a first-innings century and second-innings half century in Shield final away win over SA. In 2016-17, scored first-innings 92 in Shield final draw to win title over SA.

Jon Holland. In 2015/16, Holland took eight wickets in Victoria’s away Shield final win over South Australia. In 2016-17, he topped Victoria’s season wickets and took seven wickets in first innings of Shield final draw to win over SA.