South Australia have booked a place in the Sheffield Shield final against Victoria after Queensland’s first-innings 178 in Hobart left them too far adrift on bonus points, regardless of how the last-round matches finish.
The equation coming in was straightforward enough. Queensland, starting on 36.38 points, needed a win over Tasmania plus a South Australian defeat to Victoria, while also squeezing every possible bonus point from the first 100 overs. South Australia had begun on 42.16. By stumps on day two the maths no longer worked for the Bulls.
Queensland collected 1.0 bowling bonus point for dismissing Tasmania for 198 but claimed none with the bat, finishing 22 runs shy of the 200-run threshold. When South Australia went past 300 at the Junction Oval – they reached 305 all out inside 100 overs – they pocketed 1.05 batting points and soon after added three Victoria wickets (0.3 points). That created a gap of 6.13, too wide for Queensland to close even with an outright victory.
“We knew the first 100 overs were everything,” Queensland captain Jimmy Peirson said post-play. “You get them right, you give yourself a chance. We just didn’t.”
Jason Gillespie, South Australia’s coach, kept it even: “It’s pleasing but we’ve still got a game to finish here before thinking about a final.”
Usman Khawaja’s absence – he is at home for the birth of his third child – now doubles as the full stop on a 93-match Shield career. Earlier in the season he signalled his intention to retire from first-class cricket. “I’ve loved every minute playing for this team, but it’s the right time for me and for my family,” he said when making the announcement.
Khawaja leaves with 6510 Shield runs at 46.83, including 19 hundreds, split between New South Wales (29 matches) and Queensland (64). He finishes fifth on Queensland’s all-time Shield run list, a mark his long-time coach Wade Seccombe called “a legacy the next generation will chase for a while”.
The final, starting 26 March at Melbourne’s Junction Oval, will be South Australia’s second in as many seasons. They are chasing the state’s first back-to-back titles; Victoria are searching for their first Shield crown since 2018-19. The venue choice rewards Victoria’s table-topping 57.98 points and, perhaps crucially, the pace and carry the Junction has offered all summer.
For all the permutations, the bonus-point system remains decisive. Teams earn 0.01 points for every run beyond 200 (within the first 100 overs) and 0.1 points per wicket taken inside the same window. Critics call it fiddly, yet seasons like this showcase its bite. As Peirson put it, “You can’t play catch-up once the overs are gone.”
Queensland and Tasmania will still push for an outright result at Bellerive, and South Australia must navigate Victoria’s response in Melbourne, but the destination of the two finalists is now settled.
