South Australia has created history by winning consecutive Sheffield Shield titles for the first time in 133 years. Victoria, the dominant force of the regular season, collapsed to 139 all out chasing 196 on the final day at Junction Oval in Melbourne. Alex Carey’s third innings century and Nathan McAndrew’s match figures of 6 for 121 proved the difference as the defending champions sealed a stunning 56-run victory.
How Did Victoria Collapse on the Final Morning
Victoria needed 80 more runs with five wickets in hand at the start of day five. The chase fell apart within the first hour. Injury substitute Mitch Perry and nightwatcher Todd Murphy both departed in the opening 15 minutes. Ollie Peake, the last specialist batter, edged Liam Scott behind after scoring just four runs. Carey took a sharp diving catch to send him back.
Captain Will Sutherland and tailender Fergus O’Neill then both fell to Henry Thornton. His dismissal of O’Neill sealed the match and sparked joyous celebrations from the South Australian squad. Victoria lost 7 for 37 across the final two sessions of play to hand the title away from a position of strength.
Carey and McAndrew Partnership Turned the Final
The match swung dramatically on day four when Carey and McAndrew came together with SA seven wickets down and only 59 runs ahead. The pair added 105 for the eighth wicket. Carey scored 103 while McAndrew contributed 60 and was named player of the final.
SA captain Nathan McSweeney admitted he felt nervous at seven down. He said the partnership gave his side massive momentum and a total to bowl at. McSweeney praised his pace attack for finishing the job on the final morning.
Sheffield Shield 2025-26 Final Standings
| Position | Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIC (Q) | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 61 | +0.257 |
| 2 | SAUS (Q) | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 45 | +0.005 |
| 3 | QL (E) | 10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 37 | +0.143 |
| 4 | TAS (E) | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 36 | +0.070 |
| 5 | NSW (E) | 10 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 32 | -0.112 |
| 6 | WA (E) | 10 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 22 | -0.371 |
Victoria topped the regular season table by a wide margin with seven wins. However, they could not handle the pressure of a home final. Sutherland pointed to the dropped catch off McAndrew as the key turning point and acknowledged his young group needs to handle high-pressure chases better in the future.
