Quick Brendan Doggett and allrounder Liam Scott are back in South Australia's squad for the Sheffield Shield final after being rested for the previous game
SA expect tight tussle as they name Shield final squad
Jason Sangha concedes while last week's Sheffield Shield dress rehearsal at the same venue that will host the upcoming final provided perfect preparation for hosts South Australia, it should also benefit their rivals from Queensland.
SA today confirmed their 14-man squad for the final where they are chasing their first Shield title since 1995-96, having finished the current season well clear at the top of the ladder.
As expected, fast bowler Brendan Doggett and seam-bowling allrounder Liam Scott have been named after they were rested from the recent Queensland game while reserve keeper Harry Nielsen has also been included.
The quandary for SA selectors is whether to play a dual spin attack of Ben Manenti and Lloyd Pope, or the more likely option of three specialist quicks (from Doggett, Nathan McAndrew, Jordan Buckingham and Henry Thornton) as well as Scott and a sole spinner.
The only change to the 14-man squad Queensland brought to Adelaide last week is the inclusion of Test opener Usman Khawaja at the expense of spin-bowling allrounder Jack Sinfield who did not play in the most recent encounter.
The teams who will compete for the men's domestic first-class trophy at Karen Rolton Oval from Wednesday will be intimately familiar with the ground and its quirks after their round 10 game ended in a bat-dominated draw last Tuesday.
And while the pitch for the Shield decider is expected to exhibit a little more life than was apparent in the previous game that began amid 42C heat, both bowling line-ups face a tough assignment across five days.
Where SA might take an advantage based on the previous meeting is the form of their top-order batters on the Karen Rolton Oval's drop-in pitch during the prior meeting.
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The home team piled on 7(dec)-614 in their first innings against a foot-weary Bulls attack, then used the second dig for further centre-wicket batting practice and rattled up 5-252 from 72 overs before the game was called off.
First innings centuries by Conor McInerney (142), Alex Carey (104) and Jake Lehmann (130no) were followed by Sangha's unbeaten second innings knock of 103 which complemented his 67 on day one.
It was the first time SA has produced four individual century makers in the same Shield match since the 1994-95 game against Victoria at Adelaide Oval where James Brayshaw (134no), Darren Lehmann (100), Paul Nobes (110) and Greg Blewett (112) all posted first-innings tons.
"We couldn't have had a better prep for the week, playing on a similar pitch against an opposition we're going to face again and all the guys coming off some really good runs," Sangha said today as SA completed their main pre-final training session at Rolton Oval.
"Carey had an unbelievable fixture (with) a hundred and a fifty, Lehmo (Lehmann) a hundred, Conor McInerney made his maiden hundred as well and there was a couple of forties in there.
"It's now about seven days since our last game so the guys are pretty keen.
"I'm the one that wants get it on the road, and wish the final was today."
By contrast, Queensland's top-order were deprived of time in the middle as they were reduced to 5-86 by SA's seam attack in their only innings of the game, before middle-order duo Jimmy Peirson (128) and Jack Wildermuth (104) mounted a rescue mission.
But Sangha believes the aggregate of almost 220 overs Queensland sent down – even if almost 64 of those came from part-timers Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw and Jack Clayton – will have provided some valuable intelligence on SA's batting.
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"I guess it brings it back to even with Queensland knowing what to potentially expect," Sangha said today.
"We've seen their players, but they've also seen our players so they might have some plans as well.
"I feel like it actually evens up this final a little bit more compared to (playing) a fresh team who probably are a bit unsure of the conditions."
Queensland have played just two Shield games at Karen Rolton Oval and have yet to record a win at the venue – the other was a one-wicket loss to New South Wales during the 2020-21 season Shield hub in Adelaide.
It's not the only bit of historical baggage they take into their first Shield final since they defeated the Blues in Brisbane later that summer.
The Bulls have claimed fewer wickets than any other Shield outfit during the 2024-25 season (144 compared to SA's 164) and boast the fourth-highest team runs aggregate (4729) behind SA (5417), Tasmania (5219) and Victoria (4989).
However, the fact Queensland snuck into the final on the back of batting bonus points gained in that last-round battle against SA, despite claiming fewer outright wins than Victoria in the regular season, only underscores how keenly fought the Shield competition has been.
"Queensland have been a great team all year, and the Shield competition is one of those comps where anyone could really win it," Sangha said.
"If (fifth-placed) Tassie had two more wins they could potentially be in the final as well.
"It's a tight competition."
If Queensland, who travelled from Brisbane to Adelaide today, are looking for changed luck at SA's auxiliary venue it may come with the radical transformation Karen Rolton Oval has undergone in recent days.
A temporary grandstand is being built along the ground's eastern embankment, with viewing platforms erected on the western side along with giant LED viewing screens, food and drink outlets and other spectator amenities.
With fine, sunny weather forecast across all five days the SA Cricket Association is hoping for crowds up to 5,000 and more on the weekend when the season is scheduled to reach its climax.
Squads
South Australia: Nathan McSweeney (c), Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton.
Queensland: Marnus Labuschagne (c), Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Jack Wildermuth.
Sheffield Shield final 2024-25
March 26-30 (10.35am ACDT): South Australia v Queensland, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
The Sheffield Shield final will be broadcast live on Foxtel, Kayo Sports, cricket.com.au and the CA Live app
Sheffield Shield standings 2024-25
| Team | M | W | L | D | N/R | Ded. | Bat | Bowl | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
SA
|
10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7.61 | 9 | 55.61 |
|
2
QLD
|
10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9.06 | 8.7 | 39.76 |
|
3
VIC
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.19 | 9.3 | 39.49 |
|
4
NSW
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6.99 | 8.4 | 36.39 |
|
5
TAS
|
10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7.72 | 8.2 | 35.92 |
|
6
WA
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5.83 | 8.6 | 35.43 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points