Queensland to play South Australia in Sheffield Shield final despite ‘bizarre’ final results

There were three live options for the Sheffield Shield final when the last day of the season began but two teams failed to take their chances.

Queensland captain Marnus Labuschagne says his team will lean on the ability to fire when it matters most having seized a spot in next week’s Sheffield Shield final against South Australia after a dramatic final day on which Western Australia fell just 35 runs short of reaching a fourth-straight decider.

The Bulls were forced to endure a few nervous hours after securing a crucial point in their draw against SA in Adelaide, as the WA batters took their clash with Victoria at the WACA to the final five overs of the regular season before ultimately succumbing.

It came after teen sensation Sam Konstas waited 110 balls to play his first ramp shot in his team’s unlikely pursuit of 458 against Tasmania in Hobart to make the final.

But after the 19-year-old was out for 68, ending a domestic season that netted 653 Shield runs and included his stunning Test elevation, the Blues chase fell apart, bowled out for 202, Tassie spinner Matt Kuhnemann taking five wickets in his return to bowling after having his action tested.

Sam Konstas ramped Gabe Bell (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

That’s when Queensland eyes turned to the WACA where an unbeaten 165 from Victorian young gun Campbell Kellaway set the home team 381 for a victory needed to jump the Bulls into the final.

In his final Shield game for the Vics, 40-year-old quick Peter Siddle removed WA opener Jayden Goodwin for golden duck, second ball of the chase.

But WA settled, tried to save wickets for a late attack at the target against tiring bowlers, with Hilton Cartwright and Test rookie Cooper Connolly putting on 109 to take the game deep into the final session, making the Queenslanders sweat.

Then a stunning outfield catch from Kellaway inside the final half hour held WA back before Siddle’s fourth and last ever Shield wicket ended the game, WA all out for 347, their dreams of a fourth-straight title gone.

Absolutely bizarre table

Team in the final has the same wins as the team finishing last, and less than the team finishing third 🤯 https://t.co/nnGy5aGkyC

— 🎙️QUENTIN HULL (@QuentinHull) March 18, 2025

What a fabulous final round of Sheffield Shield cricket - ends with 4.36 points separating second and last. At the end of day 2, I had written off Qld, but they’d recovered to win enough bonus points to just keep clear of the pack. So they return to KRO to do it all again v SA!

— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) March 18, 2025

Instead Queensland will take on South Australia for the second week in a row at Karen Rolton Oval after Test keeper Alex Carey took his Shield haul for the season beyond 600 runs with another half-century as they tried to bat the Bulls bowlers into the ground.

The match ended in a draw, just after Jason Sangha racked up the sixth hundred for the game, Labuschagne revelling in a rally in the second-half of the season which secured their final spot.

“I’m really proud of the effort the boys put in (on Monday) to get us that 330 that we needed to get ahead of Victoria,” Labuschagne said.

“It was a massive effort from the position that we were in. Jack Wildermuth’s 100 and James Peirson’s 100 under pressure in a must-win scenario for us to get ourselves into the best position to make the Shield final - they stepped up.

Queensland will meet South Australia again in the Sheffield Shield final. . (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

“We gained a lot from that knowing that even with our top four missing out, we still made (370), and guys in the middle to lower order stepped up and got us home.

“To be in the position we’re in now after five games with no wins, and being able to pull in three wins in the last five games, and a draw, that’s a really good effort.”

While SA has dominated the competition all season, the Bulls greater experience in finals should not be discounted, according to Labuschagne.

“South Australia’s certainly been the pick of the teams the whole year. They’ve been excellent. Winning six games is a really big effort out of 10, but the benefit we have is in a final, nothing else matters,” he said.

“It comes down to a one game shoot off, and the best team gets to lift the trophy in that moment.

“That’s where we can grasp on our experience of our guys, having won two Shields, having been there before, having been in those tough moments and being able to hopefully seize them if we get the opportunity.” 

Originally published as Queensland to play South Australia in Sheffield Shield final despite ‘bizarre’ final results