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Rival captains Cameron White and Chris Simpson are at odds over the best format for the Sheffield Shield final, after Victoria turned the MCG decider into a run-fest against Queensland.
This season’s final was evenly placed after two days before the Bushrangers batted the Bulls out of the game by amassing 8-591 in their second innings before declaring and setting Queensland a victory target of 640 from 100 overs.
That mammoth lead assured Victoria would claim the title as they only needed a draw as the top team, although they eventually won the match by 457 runs.
Recent finals have been notable for home sides batting long periods to set the opposition an enormous task to win, which could strengthen Cricket Australia’s push to scrap the decider to accommodate more Twenty20.
But Victorian skipper White said the match was important to help develop domestic players into international performers.
“It’s the most pressure you can be under as a state cricketer,” he said.
White is also comfortable with the format where the home side has the right to bat as long as it wants, as he said the best team in the home-and-away season deserved an advantage.
“It’s hard to make finals and it’s very hard to host them,” he said.
“I think you reserve the right to do all that work across 10 games in a season to get a home-ground avantange and the other team has to come and beat you on that home ground to win the game.
“I agree with the format, yes.”
Simpson, who has been on the wrong end of three Victorian bat-fests in finals, agreed the best side over the season deserved to host the final.
But he doubted how much pressure there was in the last three days of this match, and what Australian selectors could learn from seeing one side in the field so long.
“Maybe they want to see the young players under presure in big games and in that format I don’t think produces that,” he said.
Of 28 competition finals, only five have been won by the visiting side.
Bat-fests in recent Sheffield Shield finals.
2009-10 at MCG – Victoria 8(dec)-591 (146 overs) in second innings, set Queensland 640 to win, won by 457 runs
2008-09 at Junction Oval – Victoria 510 (166) in first innings, set Queensland 593 to win, match drawn
2007-08 at SCG – NSW 8(dec)-563 (165.3) in second innings, set Victoria 629 to win, won by 258 runs
2006-07 at Bellerive Oval – Tasmania 460 (168.2) in second innings, set NSW 571 to win, won by 421 runs
2005-06 at Gabba – Queensland 6(dec)-900 (242) in first innings, beat Victoria by an innings and 354 runs
2003-04 at MCG – Victoria 710 (212) in first innings, set Queensland 576 to win, won by 321 runs
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