Our One-Day Cup team of the 2025-26 season

Ahead of this week’s final in Hobart between Tasmania and NSW, we’ve picked our best XI from the men’s 50-over domestic season

1. Mackenzie Harvey (SA)

Matches: 7 | Runs: 322 | Ave: 53.66 | SR: 98.17 | 50s: 4 | HS: 76

Another strong 50-over campaign for the left-hander, who replicated his domestic success abroad when he hit consecutive half-centuries for Australia A in the one-day component of their tour of India in October. Including those matches, Harvey has been dismissed for under 30 just once in 10 List A innings since September. Add his world-class fielding into the mix and Harvey has emerged as one of the competition’s leading prospects.

2. Joel Curtis (WA) (wk)

M: 7 | Runs: 431 | Ave: 61.57 | SR: 111.36 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 3 | HS: 116 | Ct: 13

Out of the shadow of Josh Inglis, Western Australia’s back-up ‘keeper has shown his dynamism opening the batting this season. The left-hander kicked off his campaign with a blazing 116 against Queensland and then finished his season with three consecutive half-centuries. Curtis takes the gloves in this team over Sam Harper having claimed the most dismissals in this year’s competition.

3. Marnus Labuschagne (Qld)

M: 6 | Runs: 468 | Ave: 78.00 | SR: 96.49 | 100s: 4 | HS: 130

Four centuries in a single One-Day Cup season put the Test No.3 in rare air; only three others have achieved that feat. His hot streak to begin the summer helped convince selectors he was worthy of Ashes selection. Labuschagne’s run of tons was all the more remarkable given he had only previously made one hundred in coloured clothing for Queensland (his two others in List A cricket came in ODIs).

4. Kurtis Patterson (NSW) (c)

M: 7 | Runs: 513 | Ave: 102.60 | SR: 97.15 | 100s: 3 | 50s: 2 | HS: 125no

What was even more exceptional than Labuschagne’s 50-over form this summer? Kurtis Patterson’s. The left-hander has had a golden summer for the Blues and he saved his best for the last home-and-away match of the season, peeling off a rapid 125no from 89 balls against Tasmania to see NSW clinch a bonus-point win that vaulted them into the final.

5. Tim Ward (Tas)

M: 6 | Runs: 305 | Ave: 50.83 | SR: 99.34 | 100s: 2 | HS: 112

The NSW-born leftie has enjoyed a breakout one-day season and proved a versatile option in the middle order for the Tigers in their run to the final, scoring tons at No.3 and 5. That included a maiden List A century (his 105 in a successful chase against Queensland in Brisbane) as well as his 112 in a thrilling defeat to Western Australia in Perth.

6. Sam Harper (Vic)

M: 7 | Runs: 281 | Ave: 40.14 | SR: 106.84 | 50s: 3 | HS: 88 | Ct: 9

Victoria’s keeper has made waves as an opener in the Sheffield Shield this season, but slots into the middle order here having batted at six or seven all but twice this season. He has been his state’s leading run scorer in 50-over cricket to cap a remarkable summer in which he was crowned BBL|15 player of the season.

7. Beau Webster (Tas)

M: 5 | Runs: 306 | Bat ave: 61.20 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 2 | HS: 138 | Wkts: 5 | Bowl ave: 27.40

Owner of the tournament’s highest score this season thanks to his career-best 138 in a losing cause at the WACA Ground in his usual spot at No.3 for Tasmania, Webster takes the allrounder position here thanks to his knack of picking up wickets, although this summer all five scalps came in September in his first two matches.

8. Nathan McAndrew (SA)

M: 4 | Wkts: 10 | Ave: 14.30 | SR: 4.44 | 5WI: 1 | BBI: 5-23

The right-armer narrowly edges out Joel Paris (12 wickets at 15.08 in four games) for a spot in this side, with both having played only four games this season. McAndrew certainly made an impact when he did take the field, most notably snaring 5-23 against Victoria at Karen Rolton Oval – his best ever List A figures.

9. Tanveer Sangha (NSW)

M: 7 | Wkts: 18 | Ave: 18.05 | SR: 22.33 | Econ: 4.85 | BBI: 4-35

The tournament’s leading wicket-taker helped spin his state into the 50-over final, taking multiple wickets in all seven matches. It is comfortably his best one-day season (he’s never taken more than seven wickets in a campaign) and comes having also taken seven scalps in three games on Australia A’s tour of India at the beginning of the season.

10. Mitch Swepson (Qld)

M: 7 | Wkts: 15 | Ave: 17.80 | SR: 23.00 | Econ: 4.64 | 5WI: 1 | BBI: 7-28

Almost half of the leg-spinner’s wicket tally came in the Bulls’ final match against SA where he returned 7-28 – the fourth best figures in history of the competition. That performance alone was worthy of inclusion in this side, although he also snared a four-wicket haul against WA in September.

11. Bryce Jackson (WA)

M: 6 | Wkts: 15 | Ave: 22.13 | SR: 21.93 | Econ: 6.05 | 4WI: 2 | BBI: 4-40

An under-the-radar star of the domestic one-day scene since his debut last season. The right-arm quick has been limited to just one-day cricket during that period but his impact has been immense; he now has 34 List A victims at just 20.79. It’s another success story for the west’s remarkable production line of pace bowlers.

One-Day Cup 2025-26

Final: Tasmania v NSW, Bellerive Oval, February 11 (2.05pm AEDT)