The Australian domestic Sheffield Shield season final is being played now (Day2 of 4) between the minor premiers and perpetual cellar dwellers South Australia vs Queensland.
They played in the last round of the competition just a week ago at the same ground and scored a collective 1,236 runs for 22 wickets.
On Day1 Queensland lost 5-7 on the way to being bowled out for 95. SA, after a bit of a wobble replied and took a 176 run lead. Queensland have wiped of the deficit for the loss of 3 wickets. But it’s still stumps Day2 and a whole lot of cricket to be played.
None-the-less the Croweaters, with a team of journeymen and rejects, (plus Alex Carey but without their state’s best bat [Travis Head] who is away on IPL duty) have been the best domestic team throughout the season and are firmly in the box seat to win their first title since 1995/96.
That win included some of the most dogged defensive batting on record to earn a draw against a star studded Western Australia including a partnership between Siddons and May of 186 deliveries with just one scoring shot, a boundary. And their last pair of renowned batting bunnies George & McIntyre holding out for an hour s. And setting off an epic post-match party.
This is making me nostalgic for my childhood experiences of following first class cricket in England, Australia and West Indies through newspaper accounts and short wave radio.
And continuing the non-international theme; last weekend was the Grand Finals of the Sydney Shires Cricket competition (Sydney 2nd division)
My club, Burwood Briars had their 1st, 2nd & 3rd grades through. Each team had finished the season second on the table but as the three minor premiers had all stumbled in the qualifying or semi-finals we were highest ranked in each GF and therefore needed to be beaten to be denied the premiership.
1sts lost the toss and were sent in on a very good deck at Bankstown. At stumps Briars were 4-218. On Day2 after a rain delay they kept batting, as is their prerogative. After an hour and a half they’d progressed to 4-282 when the opposition conceded. Noice! Very noice! Our skipper and best bat did literally nothing during the entire two days play.
3rds won the toss, batted well and were 7-258 at stumps. And they kept batting on Day2 after a rain delay being eventually dismissed for 318. The opposition who were deserved minor premiers and unbeaten until they dropped their QF match now had 40 overs to bat and needed to score at an improbable 8 runs per over. They were never on the required pace and at 6-120 off 33 overs they were cooked and conceded, lacking a fair bit of grace in the process. Didn’t even hang around for the presentation. Bugger 'em.
2nds won the toss and (barely fathomably) sent the opposition at Strathfield. 2nds have a handy bowling line-up, and fragile batting but Airey was a road. After a good start the the opposition lost a burst of wickets and went into a very defensive mode. Eventually were dismissed for a below par 161. In the last hour 2nds ground their way to 2-47. 94 overs in the day, 52 maidens. Finals cricket, not brighter cricket.
On Day2 rain cost us a couple of hours, leaving 55 overs to play. Then the core of 2nds batting were dismissed with wanton lack of application. The 6th wicket partnership batted out 37 overs including 203 dot balls before time was called at 5-126.
Three draws. Three premierships. Thanks for coming.
I love cricket finals. They are absolutely, unequivocally, unapologetically unfair. But everybody knows the rules at the start of the season. Am sure our relationship with opposing clubs has not been improved but we have three pieces of silverware on display again in the clubhouse. Winners. Grinners. Summat.
To finish the story, trailing by 176 Queensland compiled a handy 445 in their 2nd innings to give SA the target of 270 to win. The highest 4th innings target to win a final. Which they achieved 6 down based around a 4th wicket partnership of 202 between Jason Sangha (125no) and Alex Carey (105) .
The World Test Championship Final is underway, to very little interest it appears. Australia with an edge at lunch in day 2, despite posting only 212 first up.
Good fast bowling and some spectacular catching on display.
SA earned their position without playing the top tier teams. Their batting is suspect. I think, at least until recently, that only one of their top 7 (Bavuma) had scored a Test ton.
Conversely their pace bowling is a good unit and they field at the highest level. The pitch seemed to offer them assistance throughout the innings.
The AUS batting is more seasoned and experienced but not all are in form. “We” think the line-up is fragile unless it consistently posts 350. Labuschagne doesn’t deserve his spot. I’d have opened with Inglis with Head at #3, Green @ #5.
Being a traditionalist I like Webster, who has long honed his credentials and well earned his spot.
But “The Cartel” of Starc, Cummings and Hazelwood, heading to 1,000 Test wickets between them are as good a bowling unit as has ever played the game.
I think they will give AUS a modest 1st innings lead. Currently SA are 7-126 with the tail exposed. If the batters can’t then give SA 250+ to chase then we don’t deserve the title. If they do then it’s hard to see anything other than consecutive WTC titles.
I thought it might be some kind of Australian state resentment thing. Decades ago on Usenet some Queensland based poster used to complain about the NSV cartel keeping out players from states other than NSW and Victoria.
Just going buy the online commentary, it seems South Africa were doing what a lot of teams do to annoying late-order partnerships, which was setting men onteh boundary, jut a couple of slips and few other catching positions, and consequently going for lots of runs via nudge and nurdle.
This happens a lot, so not to just focus on SA, but: isn’t Ramada to Starc (or equivalents) the perfect time to field and bowl aggressively? Four slips, everyone else catching on the circle, aim for top of off and wait for the inevitable error? Yes, he might go on the tonk and get a few but he can’t survive long - if he could, he’d batting at 6 or better.
Oh, they totally can.
In their favour, they have the fact that they only need another 69, with 8 wickets left. It’s 24 overs until the new ball, too late to save Australia you would think.
But there’s a question as to whether Bavuma can come out tomorrow - he’s obviously been struggling all day with his hamstring. The weather is going to be cloudy, but of movement, pressure of the win… We’ll see.
If I was putting money on, though, I’d be putting it on SA.