For the first time in the state’s history, South Australia have gone back-to-back in the Sheffield Shield
South Australia have completed one of the all-time Sheffield Shield final turn-ups, seizing the silverware for a second consecutive summer after the season’s standout side, Victoria, imploded on the fifth morning at the Junction Oval.
The Vics, who surged into a home decider on the back of one of the most prolific regular seasons ever, were rolled for just 139 chasing 196 to see the defending champions SA take back-to-back crowns for the first time in their 133-year history.
In contrasting scenes to last year’s final when scores of punters invaded Karen Rolton Oval, a lone red-clad SA fan draped in the state flag ran onto the field after Henry Thornton clean bowled Fergus O’Neill to seal the 56-run victory.
As the South Aussies celebrated their win inside the first hour of play on Monday, the Victorians were left distraught after losing 7-37 either side of stumps on day four sparked by the exits of senior bats Peter Handscomb and Marcus Harris.
It marked the first time a visiting team has won a Shield final in a decade, with Alex Carey’s third-innings 103 on a St Kilda pitch that was pace-friendly all game proving a clear difference between the two sides.
Nathan McAndrew, who defied late-season soreness to take 6-121 for the match and score 60 in a match-turning stand with Carey, was named player of the final.
The Carey-McAndrew partnership proved a remarkable turnaround given SA were seven wickets down and only 59 ahead of Victoria when they came together on Sunday.
“Very nervous, thinking maybe the game had just slipped through our hands,” captain Nathan McSweeney told reporters.
“But the boys, Kez and Macca, to be able to spend so much time in the middle and chip away at a total – (they were) saying 130-140 is enough.
“Then to get 195 ahead just gave us so much momentum and something to really bowl at.
“Our quicks have been great all year, and probably (have been) the last three or four years. To give them the ball and go to work was fantastic to see.”
Will Sutherland was left to rue that 105-run eighth-wicket partnership, the largest of the match.
Victoria’s captain missed a catch off McAndrew that flew between him and Handscomb, while the Vics counted 16 plays and misses during his 144-ball innings.
“The key moment was probably that partnership between McAndrew and Carey,” said Sutherland.
“We chose to spread the field to Carey and let him have four balls and McAndrew two (per over). In saying that (McAndrew) played and missed a lot, there was that one that went through me and Pete as well.
“If that gets taken, it’s a completely different game.
“I still think we probably could have got it done this morning … it’s still a bit of a young group that can maybe handle those chases under high pressure slightly better I think.”
Even despite the vital departures of Handscomb and Harris the previous evening, Victoria’s noses appeared in front ahead of a tension-filled resumption of play.
Injury substitute Mitch Perry took 10 off McAndrew’s first over of the day but both he and fellow nightwatcher Todd Murphy were dismissed within the first 15 minutes.
The stage was set for Ollie Peake, the Vics’ last remaining specialist batter, to display his obvious talent. But after getting off the mark with an on-driven boundary, he edged the unerring Liam Scott behind as Carey took a sharp diving catch.
Peake may have been spared had the non-striker O’Neill not gotten in the way of the side-on camera used to check no-balls on wicket balls for this match. Scott’s front foot looked perilously close to being over the line, but O’Neill blocked the only angle available to the television umpire.
Sutherland and O’Neill then both succumbed to Henry Thornton, who took his fifth and sixth wickets of the match to spark SA’s joyous celebrations.
Sheffield Shield final 2025-26
March 26-30: South Australia won by 56 runs
The Sheffield Shield final will be broadcast live on cricket.com.au, the CA Live app, Foxtel and Kayo Sports
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Drawn
D
No results
N/R
Deductions
Ded.
Batting Bonus
Bat
Bowling Bonus
Bowl
Total points
PTS
1
VIC
10
7
2
1
0
0
8.56
9.3
60.86
2
SA
10
4
2
4
0
0
7.61
9.2
44.81
3
QLD
10
3
4
3
0
0
8.18
8.2
37.38
4
TAS
10
4
4
2
0
2
3.73
8.5
36.23
5
NSW
10
2
4
4
0
0
6.94
8.6
31.54
6
WA
10
1
5
4
0
0
2.95
9.2
22.15
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points
