Rethink the shield final, says Cummins

CRICKET’S governing body must decide what the priority of the Sheffield Shield final is to ensure the competition title decider remains relevant, according to Cricket Tasmania chief Nick Cummins.

With the status of the final again being questioned — despite Queensland eventually winning the 2017-18 edition after weather forced Tasmania’s hand in an attempt to pull off a miracle on Tuesday — Cummins believes the solution could be as simple as Cricket Australia deciding the purpose of the showpiece event.

Players remain strongly in favour of a final, which unfolds over five days and is widely considered to be the closest thing to Test cricket.

But as has been the case in recent history, conditions are often so far in favour of the home side that a genuine contest is almost impossible.

“If the priority is to have the best team of the season recognised, then you probably don’t need a final,” Cummins said.

“Queensland finished on top, they clearly finished on top, if you had just given it to Queensland there is certainly no feeling of injustice.

“If it is about providing playing experience for Test cricket, then I think maybe you do need to look at changing the conditions and if it is about having an even contest, it is that as well.

“Whether you play at a neutral venue, whether you have the home team has to win as well, that would produce a very different pitch if the home team needs to win. But it comes down to ultimately what is the purpose of the shield final.”

Since the final between the top two sides was introduced in 1982-83, only six visiting teams have won the title.

Tasmania’s chances of becoming the seventh were dealt a massive blow when day one of the match at Allan Border Field was abandoned because of a sodden outfield, while three days of overcast conditions and several showers resulted in the pitch not deteriorating sufficiently to give either bowling attack assistance.

“It has shown over the last 30 years that there are few upsets because it is so heavily stacked in favour of the team who finishes on top,” Cummins said. “We’ve won shield finals as the beneficiary of exactly the same things, but overall the players want the final so we need to make sure the final is an as even contest as we can produce.”