Shield Sheffield Shield Final: Western Australia vs Victoria, WACA, 23rd-27th March, 1 PM AEDT (10 AM AWST, 11:30 AM ACDT, 12 AEST)

[eth-dog]

A rematch of last year's final, Western Australia hadn't lost a game until the last round in their bid for back to back trebles. Victoria have been the form side of the comp since the BBL break, winning their last 5 games to come from second last into making the final.

Western Australia probably make two or three changes to the side that lost to Victoria with Joel Paris, Matthew Kelly and Lance Morris all likely to return to their side, but the batting was the issue for the men from the west so it will be interesting to see how their top order respond.

Victoria will welcome back captain Peter Handscomb and off spinner Todd Murphy returning from the Indian tour. A question remains about whether or not they play Will Pucovski given the lack of form from both Travis Dean and Ashley Chandrasinghe.

Possible sides:

WA:

Cameron Bancroft
Sam Whiteman (c)
Teague Wyllie
Hilton Cartwright
Aaron Hardie
Ashton Turner
Josh Philippe (+)
Joel Paris
Matthew Kelly
Corey Rocchiccioli
Lance Morris

Vic:

Will Pucovski
Marcus Harris
Peter Handscomb (c)
Campbell Kellaway
Matthew Short
Will Sutherland
Sam Harper (+)
Mitch Perry
Fergus O'Neill
Scott Boland
Todd Murphy

Biased, but I have the Vic's winning this one. Peter Handscomb MOTM

 

[largebus]

Fun Sheffield Shield facts:

Since joining the comp in 1947, WA has won more Shield titles than Victoria, despite having less than half the population and until recently going 20+ years without winning one.
Victoria also has less Shields over that time frame than Tasmania (who didn't join until 1977) and SA when adjusted for their state's populations.

 

[eth-dog]

Fun Sheffield Shield facts:

Since joining the comp in 1947, WA has won more Shield titles than Victoria, despite having less than half the population and until recently going 20+ years without winning one.
Victoria also has less Shields over that time frame than Tasmania (who didn't join until 1977) and SA when adjusted for their state's populations.

Fun fact, Victoria have made 14 of the past 24 Shield Finals and won 7 of them.

 

[largebus]

Fun fact, Victoria have made 14 of the past 24 Shield Finals and won 7 of them.

That they've done that and yet still trail WA since they joined the comp (who did SFA for 20 years until 12 months ago) is proof positive of how crap
they've been over their history.

 

[eth-dog]

That they've done that and yet still trail WA since they joined the comp (who did SFA for 20 years until 12 months ago) is proof positive of how crap
they've been over their history.

Right. Someone is feeling a little insecure I see. Victoria has been one of the strongest states in Shield history, as shown by the fact we're second for most wins by nearly double to the team in 3rd. In the 21st century we've made more finals than anyone else, and won the same as Queensland (who's early 2000's team was stacked with the likes of Maher, Love, Law, Symonds, Hopes, Bichel, Kaspa etc). We've been rebuilding the past two years and yet have managed to make back to back finals despite that.

 

[largebus]

Right. Someone is feeling a little insecure I see. Victoria has been one of the strongest states in Shield history, as shown by the fact we're second for most wins by nearly double to the team in 3rd. In the 21st century we've made more finals than anyone else, and won the same as Queensland (who's early 2000's team was stacked with the likes of Maher, Love, Law, Symonds, Hopes, Bichel, Kaspa etc). We've been rebuilding the past two years and yet have managed to make back to back finals despite that.

Won the same as the banana benders who have 1+ million less people, cool. This isn't the AFL where they were drafted from all over country, they were developed in the state, something that Victoria underachieves at even now.

Since WA has come in, "one of the strongest states in Shield history" has somehow won less titles than a state with less than half Vic's population and has given them 20 years to catch up. With more than double the population, they should have more than double the titles but no.

A win next week (FWIW I think Vic are the better team on if Murphy and Handscomb come back) does little to change this historical record of underachievement.

As for rebuilding, I guess that's what you call not having any players good enough to be away on national duties. There should be an 2007 AFL-style inquiry as to why Australia's 2nd most populated state hasn't produced a decent Test batsman in 30 years.

 

[Tugga27]

Be nice if this thread was about the game and not all of this interstate rivalry bullshit.


Should be a cracking game I hope.

 

[eth-dog]

Won the same as the banana benders who have 1+ million less people, cool. This isn't the AFL where they were drafted from all over country, they were developed in the state, something that Victoria underachieves at even now.

Since WA has come in, "one of the strongest states in Shield history" has somehow won less titles than a state with less than half Vic's population and has given them 20 years to catch up. With more than double the population, they should have more than double the titles but no.

A win next week (FWIW I think Vic are the better team on if Murphy and Handscomb come back) does little to change this historical record of underachievement.

As for rebuilding, I guess that's what you call not having any players good enough to be away on national duties. There should be an 2007 AFL-style inquiry as to why Australia's 2nd most populated state hasn't produced a decent Test batsman in 30 years.

You've had one more title over 65 years. Well done.

Fact is, you've done well. Credit to you. To dismiss us is pure hilarity, based on "population" (given that means sweet FA, should be based on participation rates). We've also been very good, especially since the turn of the century.

Be nice if this thread was about the game and not all of this interstate rivalry bullshit.


Should be a cracking game I hope.

Wouldn't consider WA a rival. I'd say NSW is.

 

[Tugga27]

You've had one more title over 65 years. Well done.

Fact is, you've done well. Credit to you. To dismiss us is pure hilarity, based on "population" (given that means sweet FA, should be based on participation rates). We've also been very good, especially since the turn of the century.

Wouldn't consider WA a rival. I'd say NSW is.

I think WA and Victoria would be rivals in tiddlywinks.

Regardless, you get what I mean.

 

[BGman]

We Australians love holding onto tradition, even from colonial times, such as the Sheffield Shield named after an English Lord in the 1890s. I say it is time we dumped this archaic name for something more modern plus Australian. The Donald Bradman Shield has a certain patriotic ring to it. After all he was the Lord of batsmen.

 

[Westend]

Be nice if this thread was about the game and not all of this interstate rivalry bullshit.


Should be a cracking game I hope.

Yeah for me its not like the footie which is higher...theres always that element which is okay

I think WA and Vic have a good relationship cricket wise...you look at David Hussey Chris Rogers Brad Williams and Scarborough Boy Marcus Harris stoinis with his long relationship with with stars....Shaun with the renegades ..its good to see

I look at the cricket differently and what's best for the Aussie team regardless where you come from for me having a strong WA and Vic is only good for Aussie Cricket

Reckon its going to be a cracking final and I will be going again

 

[Mighty Eagles]

I think this is going to be a good match. Victoria deserve to be favourites.

 

[BGman]

Reckon its going to be a cracking final and I will be going again

I will have to watch it on the box here in Sydney with my money on the boys from the West. For several reasons, not the least that the WACA actually supports red ball cricket, no, rather it nurtures it unlike any other state via its junior red ball Premier Cricket program. Boys 13, 14, 15, 17 yrs hone their red ball skills in teams named after prominent WA cricketers of the past, McKenzie, Hussey, Inverarity, Mann, so when they reach senior cricket they have the technical tools needed to survive at first class level.

 

[Perty4]

I think this is going to be a good match. Victoria deserve to be favourites.

Fully agree - going in after smashing WA and get back one of the leading run scorers and the best Shield spinner. Vics bowling attack looks very strong.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Vic Squad named. Adds Handscomb and Murphy

Depending on the wicket, both spinners could play with Boland, Perry and Sutherland providing pace. The unlucky player would be O'Neill. If conditions look to favour Quicks Holland will miss.

Sneaky Pete will replace Ash.

Sadly this means Dean plays .

Tragically the timing means the worst Number 6 in the history of Test cricket will not play for WA.

 

[Westend]

Vic Squad named. Adds Handscomb and Murphy

Depending on the wicket, both spinners could play with Boland, Perry and Sutherland providing pace. The unlucky player would be O'Neill. If conditions look to favour Quicks Holland will miss.

Sneaky Pete will replace Ash.

Sadly this means Dean plays .

Tragically the timing means the worst Number 6 in the history of Test cricket will not play for WA.

Well we need to be fair and give the Vics a chance...if Mitch plays it will too much of an advantage to WA

 

[largebus]

Vic Squad named. Adds Handscomb and Murphy

Depending on the wicket, both spinners could play with Boland, Perry and Sutherland providing pace. The unlucky player would be O'Neill. If conditions look to favour Quicks Holland will miss.

Sneaky Pete will replace Ash.

Sadly this means Dean plays .

Tragically the timing means the worst Number 6 in the history of Test cricket will not play for WA.

Phew. I thought Maxwell signed a last minute contract for WA to play in the final.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Phew. I thought Maxwell signed a last minute contract for WA to play in the final.

Nope. Mitch the Mere Marsh is the worst Test player we have produced that played so many games - 32. Averaged mid twenties and that was inflated by two tons on autobahns.

 

[largebus]

Nope. Mitch the Mere Marsh is the worst Test player we have produced that played so many games - 32. Averaged mid twenties and that was inflated by two tons on autobahns.

If Marsh is the worst what does that make Rob Quiney or Bryce McGain?

Victorian cricket is the biggest potato factory in Australia.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

If Marsh is the worst what does that make Rob Quiney or Bryce McGain?

Victorian cricket is the biggest potato factory in Australia.

They were not gifted 32 games of incompetence. They had the wrong surname. He should never have played a game.

 

[Boots73]

It’s a shame the shield final won’t have Mitch Marsh ,Josh Inglis ,Ashton Agar with the Aussies playing the final ODI in India on Wednesday night.
Surely somehow someone in Cricket Australia could have made it possible to have all players available for the biggest game in domestic cricket

 

[BGman]

Nope. Mitch the Mere Marsh is the worst Test player we have produced that played so many games - 32. Averaged mid twenties and that was inflated by two tons on autobahns.

I pushed his barrow for so long while most were rubbishing him. Hoped he'd finally come good by eradicating his many flaws, using hard hands in attack and defense, lack of foot movement, playing away from his body. He never did.

Sneaky Pete will replace Ash.

Sadly this means Dean plays .

I'd have the young up and comer Chandrasinghe over Dean, who has had an abysmal season. Ash only mediocre but he is the future. Dean promised so much with his compact technique but he has lacked temperament which is so important in cricket, any sport.

This kid may play for Australia some day.

No one commented on this. Louis is still only 17 and has already played several FG games, two as a 16 year old. His best attribute is his versatility as he also bowls, in fact his bowling appears to be his strongest suit up to this point. Tassie will have a seriously good player on its hands when he comes to grips with the batting required at First Class level.

 

[Demons09]

Nope. Mitch the Mere Marsh is the worst Test player we have produced that played so many games - 32. Averaged mid twenties and that was inflated by two tons on autobahns.

You’ll be pissed off when he’s picked again.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

You’ll be pissed off when he’s picked again.

you will too when his abject failures are again central to Test losses.

 

[Freezin]

Good to see Morris firing it up in the WA net session. Paris, Kelly and Morris should give WA some more bite bowling wise....though TBH the likes of Stobo, Gannon and Moody did bowl Vic out for only 270 odd.....pity the WA batting was pretty substandard in that 1st innings....surely a one off?...never to be repeated again?