Close mates suspend friendship for Shield final

By mutual consent, the 15-year friendship between best mates Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney will be put on hold over the ensuing five days as each aims to lead their respective team to the Sheffield Shield title.

Both in their first season as full-time skippers, Labuschagne is aiming to oversee Queensland's first Shield triumph since 2020-21 while Brisbane-born McSweeney is hopeful hosting rights will end South Australia's 29-year drought without a domestic first-class title.

The pair's close bond stretches back to their first encounter when Labuschagne was fresh out of secondary school at Brisbane State High and they have remained in regular - at times, almost daily - contact since McSweeney relocated to Adelaide in 2021.

But from the moment tomorrow morning's coin toss takes place at Karen Rolton Oval ahead of the five-day Shield final, the strong kinship will be replaced by staunch competitiveness.

"Marnus has been great for me and my game, but when we're out there tomorrow we're definitely not mates and he'll be trying his best to make runs, as will I," McSweeney said today as the rival captains held pre-game media conferences.

"Obviously he's a great cricket brain and he's been able to be a successful international player for a long time, so I love talking about the game with him.

"And just life, and the challenges that come across us as professional cricketers.

"He's a bit older than me, he's seen a little bit more of it so he's a great one to bounce ideas off and I'm very lucky how open he is about the game being an opposition player.

"There definitely won't be any matey chat over the next five days, but he's been excellent for me."

Labuschagne showered similar praise on his 26-year-old mate who joined him as an Australia Test player earlier this summer, noting he gained great pride from McSweeney's achievements since he left Queensland in search of more regular top-level opportunities.

The duo first crossed paths when McSweeney was aged 10 and was undertaking cricket selection trials at Brisbane State High where recently graduated Labuschagne was helping out with his school's recruitment program.

"I saw him there and I said 'mate, we've got to get this kid' and unfortunately he ended up going to Nudgee College," Labuschagne said today.

"And as he came through the ranks and played for Queensland in junior stuff, and then for Norths in (Brisbane Premier) cricket I just got to know him.

"Then he came into the squad and I loved his appetite to learn and his appetite to grow, and that's probably what attracted us the most.

"I think appetite to learn and grow beats talent every day of the week.

"But tomorrow there's going to be no friendly chat.

"It's going to be all game face and we're going to be trying everything to unsettle him and trying to get him out early because we know how effective he's been this season for South Australia.

"So the friendship will (temporarily) finish probably at the end of today."

Despite their close rapport, McSweeney conceded he had been unable to glean any clues as to what decision Labuschagne might make should the coin land in his favour tomorrow morning.

Neither skipper would reveal their final playing XIs today, although SA coach Ryan Harris indicated in an earlier radio interview that leg-spinner Lloyd Pope was likely to be squeezed out given the lack of assistance for him in the Rolton pitch when the teams met last week.

It is tipped the surface for the final, which is forecast to be played in fine and sunny weather throughout, will contain marginally more moisture than last week's track which was baked dry by 42C heat on day one.

"The wicket's probably not as hard as it was for last week's game here," Labuschagne said, citing the previous encounter that ended in a bat-dominated draw after SA opted not to enforce the follow-on despite holding a 244-run first innings lead.

"There's probably a bit more moisture in it, the grass is probably a fraction longer but Trent (Kelly, curator) hasn't cut it yet so we'll have to see if that gets cut in the morning.

"All in all, last week would have been a really good cricket wicket for a five-day game, and South Australia had us in a position where if they really wanted to try and win the game they could have pushed down that route."

McSweeney confirmed Pope was one of the 14-man SA squad who seems set to miss out in a tough selection call along with reserve keeper Harry Nielsen, while the last remaining berth seems set to be a line-ball call between quicks Henry Thornton and Jordan Buckingham.

Strike bowler Brendan Doggett and in-form allrounder Liam Scott were rested from last week's game and are certain to return for SA, with Ben Manenti as specialist spinner.

"Lloyd's been great for us this year and his efforts are a great reason why we're here and playing in a Shield final," McSweeney said.

"But Karen Rolton Oval's typically a tough ground to bowl spin on, and the wicket has a little bit more moisture hence we're going with an extra (pace) bowler.

"It's a tough decision but when you're in finals you've got to make tough decisions, and unfortunately he's the one that's missing out."

Labuschagne confirmed Test veteran Usman Khawaja was fit and would be included in the line-up after publicly challenging claims made about his absence from the previous game against SA, with fellow opener Lachlan Hearne expected to make way in the final XI.

The Bulls are tipped to retain their four-pronged pace attack of Michael Neser, Mark Steketee, Jack Wildermuth and exciting 19-year-old Callum Vidler, along with Test-capped leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson.

Khawaja has declared the slight hamstring problem that saw him miss last week's game in Adelaide, after posting a match-winning century in the preceding game against Tasmania, is not causing him any trouble.

And Labuschagne believes the 38-year-old will not only put the controversy of the past week behind him when the final gets underway, it's likely to bring out the best in the left-hander who posted a career-high 232 in last month's first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle.

"He loves the big moments," Labuschagne said of his captaincy predecessor who led Queensland to the Shield title four years ago.

"He's been an amazing player for a long time, so I don't think he's going to have any issues with getting going out there and performing at his best."

The most significant change in the Shield final playing conditions since SA last featured in one in 2016-17 has been the ruling that, should the match end in a draw, the winner will be decided on first innings bonus points earned within the first 100 overs.

Since the system was introduced in 2018-19 to dissuade host teams from preparing a flat pitch that offered nothing for bowlers in the knowledge a stalemate would guarantee the trophy, only one final (2021-22 in Perth) has failed to produce a result.

But with no forecast threat of rain and both teams boasting strong bowling line-ups, the battle for bonus points is something both skippers will be mindful of while ensuring their primary focus is remaining in a position to achieve an outright win.

"It's important to know and be across it as a team," McSweeney said of the bonus points structure that awards teams 0.01 points per run beyond 200 in the first 100 overs of their first batting innings and 0.1 points per wicket in the same window with the ball.

"But there's five days of cricket and it's very likely there's going to be a result in those five days without any weather interruption.

"In Adelaide, the last four or five Tests (at Adelaide Oval) haven't gone anywhere near five days.

"So we'll just play the game trying to win, and hopefully that means we're with the Shield at the end of the five days."

Labuschagne echoed his close friend's thoughts on the game within a game.

But having snuck into the Shield final by dint of the scramble for batting bonus points they pulled off against SA last week, he admitted they will again be likely crunching numbers in the Queensland rooms.

"For me it's just focusing on the end result, making sure we're good for five days and we're trying to win that game late on day five," Labuschagne said.

"That's the aim, but if we're in that position where we're batting first, trying to accelerate at certain times to try and get a few more points to secure that first innings lead might come into play.

"But that will be as the game pans out."

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

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