Almanac Cricket: Rulebook’s SACA Sheffield Shield Ramblings

I readily admit the Sheffield Shield final article by Lorenzo Di-Mauro Hayes produced some guilt feelings about not writing something myself, so I thought it was about time I wrote some ramblings not only about the final but the Sheffield Shield season in general.

 

 

1. South Australia winning the toss and bowling was an interesting decision on Karen Rolton Oval. Word was partly deciding to bat second so that SA knew the equation re the bonus points needed from the 1st 100 overs of each innings to be in front as it’s no longer the system of home side can just draw the game and win the holy grail.

 

 

2. After dropping Khawaja on 0 and 2, the home supporters were very nervous and a thought of dread was over the crowd. Suddenly 20 minutes of utter carnage occurred and the banana benders went from 0-15 to 4-18! Including Labuschange for a globe and yep his predictable ridiculous amount of time to get off the ground- I’m the unluckiest player in the world to get caught at leg gully (good catch by Jake Lehmann), geez he’d only played the ball before on and the bails hadn’t come off! Clayton was exactly like a youngster who hits the ball in the middle and runs -1st ball diabolical running between wickets well fielded by Liam Scott – we were up and about!

 

3. A fantastic atmosphere at Karen Rolton with the temporary grandstands with the village feel sitting in your seats in the shade – the players have since made the point how they appreciated the support and the intimate feeling around the ground was awesome. As Jordan Buckingham pointed out the roar and applause Brendan Doggett received as he returned to field at fine leg as he kept taking poles was where a large part of the crowd were and if the game had been at Adelaide Oval this would have been at the scoreboard end, at a normal shield game this would have been crickets. For the final they might have opened the scoreboard bar – but either way it was fantastic at Karen Rolton Oval.

 

 

4. Both teams let the occasion get to them and batted poorly in the 1st innings.
There was an amusing part sitting with fellow Shield stalwart Chris Bearman late on the 3rd day, we both agreed if you had offered us the chance to chase 270 on Karen Rolton Oval on the 4th day before the game we would have taken it – I mentioned re batting in our 1st dig there is a cough and a “hmmm Malcolm”. I reply laughing “apologies, except for Jake”, but it was Jake Lehmann’s mum Emma. This happened constantly where ever you were around the ground, running into people you knew, it was fantastic and personally far better than the vast huge expanses of Adelaide Oval for a Shield final. Huge congrats to the SA cricket association creating a mini village green at Karen Rolton, just like the best social test match venue- Adelaide Oval.

 

 

5. Cricket Australia if you are going to use cameras to supposedly help umpires with boundaries and checking whether it was a no ball when a wicket was taken, spend the dollars and arrange to have the same quality which is used for Test matches or just have it as per normal with umpires making the decision. They weren’t good enough and ended up with two decisions. Ben McDermott still being given out to Bucky in the 1st innings and then Marcus Labuschange in the end being given not out off Brendan Doggett in the 2nd innings which were not clear enough. Personally just have the umpires do what they are appointed to do and actually umpire – the only part of the final which got a thumbs down.

 

6. A bugbear in general is umpires ignoring the no ball rule, this was massively evident in the Shield game v Tasmania, including the back foot cutting the side line. Jake Lehmann and Harry Nielsen were dismissed from no-balls, the replay of Jake’s in the 1st innings is very obvious. Now this game was just the normal diehards, there were 122 people in attendance on the last day (I went for a walk and counted in the lunch break!). There were cries of hooray when a no ball was finally called on the last day and South Australia was bowling, enough said!

 

7.  There were some fantastic individual batting performances, in particular Jake Lehmann’s ton in the 1st dig (his 3rd ton in successive games, his final month of batting was so bloody awesome). The tons by Jack Clayton and Jack Wildermuth were fine innings for Queensland, in particular Jack Wildermuth, his brilliant century in the last regular game of the season got Queensland into the final- very rare for anyone batting number 8 to make tons in successive games! Important contributions from Loose Bus Change and Mark Steketee, then of course the cream of the crop with the AWESOME match winning partnership of 202 by Jason Sanga and Alex Carey, it was a pleasure to watch, just so classy.

 

 

8. With Jason Sanga it’s a mystery how he isn’t averaging more in first class cricket given his pure natural ability. To have been discarded by NSW before the age of 25 is mystifying and definitely to South Australia’s benefit. I also think it helped make him earn his spot, not exactly something South Australia has done enough with recruits over the years.

 

9. Alex Carey not only produced Bradman-like performances for South Australia over the season, it was his attitude and desire to play at Shield level and win games for South Australia. Early in the year not only was he our keeper/key batsman but captaining with Nathan McSweeney on
Australia A duty. As always, Kez delivered!

 

10. Let’s just say as Usman Khawaja had to chase a ball and collect it in front of the hill, he didn’t like it being mentioned that he would be able to get the next flight to whatever Grand Prix was on next.  The attitude of self defence mode when you have been exposed and stuffed up certainly came out when he was answering back.

 

11.  The number of players who contributed and improved across the season. Henry Hunt, I’d love you to relax more, believe in yourself and hopefully produce runs over a whole season. Ben Manenti, love your competitiveness and overall contribution with bat and slip catching,  just need to shorten that delivery stride and be higher and over the top.  Nathan McSweeney was huge with his leadership, congrats on your Test debut, wish you would back yourself more your offies. Liam Scott fantastic season overhaul and yes Labuschange got the benefit of being a big name, off your bowling that was clearly LBW in the second innings. The whole fast bowling cartel- Nathan McAndrew the king of effort such a lion hearted competitor, Brendan Doggett man of the match with 11 wickets was sensational, just as much for the Michelle in the 2nd dig when Karen Rolton Oval became it’s normal batting paradise as thestaggering 6-31 on the first day.

 

12. Lloyd Pope was a significant contributor, especially in the home wins against Victoria and Tasmania, was unlucky not to play and was the victim of Karen Rolton Oval not spinning much, certainly not his fault. Huge also how much his fielding and to a degree his batting has improved over the last couple of seasons.

 

13. South Australia winning in Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria and drawing in NSW is our most successful ever season away and played a huge part in finishing clearly on top at the end of the regular season and rightfully getting the home final, and we delivered!

 

14. How close the Shield Season was and the fact that only Tasmania couldn’t make the final before the last round of matches was remarkable. It truly was an incredible season (including the insane result in the Tas v SA match in Tassie!).

 

15. To Share the win with regulars like Chris, Andy, Clive, Barry, Matthew and Fester (apologies to anyone I’ve missed out on).
Let’s be honest it’s a small number of diehards who attend Shield games so we get to know each other and form friendships.

 

16. Chris and Andy I will let you comment that I’m the king of predicting immediate rain (geez that was funny).

 

17. For South Australia to win the double in the Dean Jones Trophy and the Holy Grail of the Sheffield Shield is still mind boggling, THANK YOU to Ryan Harris, Nathan McSweeney and everyone involved for making season 2024/25 a season full of bliss and wonderful memories.

 

Go the SACAS!!

 

 

 

More from Rulebook can be read Here.

 

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