South Australia clinched their second consecutive Sheffield Shield title in the 2025/26 season, defeating Victoria in the final to secure their 15th championship overall. Consequently, this back to back triumph is remarkable considering the Redbacks ended a 29-year drought just the previous season in 2024/25.
Liam Scott earned the Player of the Year award for his outstanding performances throughout the 124th edition of Australia’s premier domestic cricket competition. Meanwhile, New South Wales still hold the record as the most successful team in Shield history with 47 titles, followed closely by Victoria with 32.
The competition first started in 1892/93 when Lord Sheffield donated £150 to fund the trophy, making it one of the oldest domestic cricket tournaments in the world.
Sheffield Shield Winners List (1892/93 to 2025/26)
The Sheffield Shield has been contested across 124 editions spanning 133 years. No competition took place during World War I (1915/16 to 1918/19) and World War II (1940/41 to 1945/46). Furthermore, the 2019/20 final was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1892/93 | Victoria |
| 1893/94 | South Australia |
| 1894/95 | Victoria |
| 1895/96 | New South Wales |
| 1896/97 | New South Wales |
| 1897/98 | Victoria |
| 1898/99 | Victoria |
| 1899/00 | New South Wales |
| 1900/01 | Victoria |
| 1901/02 | New South Wales |
| 1902/03 | New South Wales |
| 1903/04 | New South Wales |
| 1904/05 | New South Wales |
| 1905/06 | New South Wales |
| 1906/07 | New South Wales |
| 1907/08 | Victoria |
| 1908/09 | New South Wales |
| 1909/10 | South Australia |
| 1910/11 | New South Wales |
| 1911/12 | New South Wales |
| 1912/13 | South Australia |
| 1913/14 | New South Wales |
| 1914/15 | Victoria |
| 1915/16 to 1918/19 | No competition (World War I) |
| 1919/20 | New South Wales |
| 1920/21 | New South Wales |
| 1921/22 | Victoria |
| 1922/23 | New South Wales |
| 1923/24 | Victoria |
| 1924/25 | Victoria |
| 1925/26 | New South Wales |
| 1926/27 | South Australia |
| 1927/28 | Victoria |
| 1928/29 | New South Wales |
| 1929/30 | Victoria |
| 1930/31 | Victoria |
| 1931/32 | New South Wales |
| 1932/33 | New South Wales |
| 1933/34 | Victoria |
| 1934/35 | Victoria |
| 1935/36 | South Australia |
| 1936/37 | Victoria |
| 1937/38 | New South Wales |
| 1938/39 | South Australia |
| 1939/40 | New South Wales |
| 1940/41 to 1945/46 | No competition (World War II) |
| 1946/47 | Victoria |
| 1947/48 | Western Australia |
| 1948/49 | New South Wales |
| 1949/50 | New South Wales |
| 1950/51 | Victoria |
| 1951/52 | New South Wales |
| 1952/53 | South Australia |
| 1953/54 | New South Wales |
| 1954/55 | New South Wales |
| 1955/56 | New South Wales |
| 1956/57 | New South Wales |
| 1957/58 | New South Wales |
| 1958/59 | New South Wales |
| 1959/60 | New South Wales |
| 1960/61 | New South Wales |
| 1961/62 | New South Wales |
| 1962/63 | Victoria |
| 1963/64 | South Australia |
| 1964/65 | New South Wales |
| 1965/66 | New South Wales |
| 1966/67 | Victoria |
| 1967/68 | Western Australia |
| 1968/69 | South Australia |
| 1969/70 | Victoria |
| 1970/71 | South Australia |
| 1971/72 | Western Australia |
| 1972/73 | Western Australia |
| 1973/74 | Victoria |
| 1974/75 | Western Australia |
| 1975/76 | South Australia |
| 1976/77 | Western Australia |
| 1977/78 | Western Australia |
| 1978/79 | Victoria |
| 1979/80 | Victoria |
| 1980/81 | Western Australia |
| 1981/82 | South Australia |
| 1982/83 | New South Wales |
| 1983/84 | Western Australia |
| 1984/85 | New South Wales |
| 1985/86 | New South Wales |
| 1986/87 | Western Australia |
| 1987/88 | Western Australia |
| 1988/89 | Western Australia |
| 1989/90 | New South Wales |
| 1990/91 | Victoria |
| 1991/92 | Western Australia |
| 1992/93 | New South Wales |
| 1993/94 | New South Wales |
| 1994/95 | Queensland |
| 1995/96 | South Australia |
| 1996/97 | Queensland |
| 1997/98 | Western Australia |
| 1998/99 | Western Australia |
| 1999/00 | Queensland (Pura Milk Cup) |
| 2000/01 | Queensland (Pura Cup) |
| 2001/02 | Queensland (Pura Cup) |
| 2002/03 | New South Wales (Pura Cup) |
| 2003/04 | Victoria (Pura Cup) |
| 2004/05 | New South Wales (Pura Cup) |
| 2005/06 | Queensland (Pura Cup) |
| 2006/07 | Tasmania (Pura Cup) |
| 2007/08 | New South Wales (Pura Cup) |
| 2008/09 | Victoria |
| 2009/10 | Victoria |
| 2010/11 | Tasmania |
| 2011/12 | Queensland |
| 2012/13 | Tasmania |
| 2013/14 | New South Wales |
| 2014/15 | Victoria |
| 2015/16 | Victoria |
| 2016/17 | Victoria |
| 2017/18 | Queensland |
| 2018/19 | Victoria |
| 2019/20 | New South Wales (Final cancelled, COVID 19) |
| 2020/21 | Queensland |
| 2021/22 | Western Australia |
| 2022/23 | Western Australia |
| 2023/24 | Western Australia |
| 2024/25 | South Australia |
| 2025/26 | South Australia |
Most Sheffield Shield Titles by Team
New South Wales has dominated the Sheffield Shield with 47 titles across 133 years. In contrast, Tasmania only managed its first title in 2006/07. Here is the complete breakdown of championships by each state.
| # | Team | Titles | First Title | Last Title | Captain (2025/26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New South Wales | 47 | 1895/96 | 2019/20 | Moises Henriques |
| 2 | Victoria | 32 | 1892/93 | 2018/19 | Will Sutherland |
| 3 | Western Australia | 18 | 1947/48 | 2023/24 | Sam Whiteman |
| 4 | South Australia | 15 | 1893/94 | 2025/26 | Nathan McSweeney |
| 5 | Queensland | 9 | 1994/95 | 2020/21 | Marnus Labuschagne |
| 6 | Tasmania | 3 | 2006/07 | 2012/13 | Jordan Silk |
Sheffield Shield All-Time Team Records
These numbers cover every match from the 1892/93 season through to 2025/26. Notably, New South Wales lead in both total matches and win percentage at 41.61%.
| # | Team | Entered | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Tied | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New South Wales | 1892/93 | 930 | 387 | 268 | 274 | 1 | 41.61% |
| 2 | Victoria | 1892/93 | 927 | 362 | 265 | 299 | 1 | 39.05% |
| 3 | Western Australia | 1947/48 | 696 | 247 | 216 | 233 | 0 | 35.49% |
| 4 | Queensland | 1926/27 | 817 | 258 | 283 | 275 | 1 | 31.58% |
| 5 | South Australia | 1892/93 | 917 | 256 | 415 | 245 | 1 | 27.92% |
| 6 | Tasmania | 1977/78 | 469 | 121 | 184 | 164 | 0 | 25.80% |
Sheffield Shield Player of the Year Winners
Cricket Australia has presented this award since 1975/76. Moreover, Victorian and South Australian batsman Matthew Elliott holds the record for the most wins with three awards.
| Season | Winner | State |
|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | Travis Head | South Australia |
| 2016/17 | Chadd Sayers | South Australia |
| 2017/18 | Chris Tremain | Victoria |
| 2018/19 | Scott Boland | Victoria |
| 2019/20 | Moises Henriques / Nic Maddinson | NSW / Victoria |
| 2020/21 | Nathan Lyon | New South Wales |
| 2021/22 | Henry Hunt / Travis Dean | SA / Victoria |
| 2022/23 | Michael Neser | Queensland |
| 2023/24 | Beau Webster | Tasmania |
| 2024/25 | Fergus O’Neill | Victoria |
| 2025/26 | Liam Scott | South Australia |
Sheffield Shield Key Records at a Glance
Here are the most significant individual and team records in Sheffield Shield history. Interestingly, Don Bradman holds three of the top five batting records.
| Record | Details |
|---|---|
| Highest Team Total | 1,107, Victoria vs NSW, MCG, 1926/27 |
| Lowest Team Total | 27, South Australia vs NSW, SCG, 1955/56 |
| Highest Individual Score | 452*, Don Bradman, NSW vs QLD, SCG, 1929/30 |
| Most Career Runs | 13,635, Darren Lehmann (SA/Vic) |
| Most Career Wickets | 513, Clarrie Grimmett (SA/Vic) |
| Highest Batting Average | 110.19, Don Bradman (NSW/SA) |
| Most Centuries | 45, Darren Lehmann (SA/Vic) |
| Most Matches Played | 161, Jamie Cox (Tasmania) |
| Most Dismissals (Keeper) | 546, Darren Berry (SA/Vic) |
| Most Wickets in a Season | 67, Colin Miller (Tasmania), 1997/98 |
| Most Runs in a Season | 1,506, Simon Katich (NSW), 2007/08 |
Also Check:
Conclusion: Australia’s Oldest Domestic Trophy Still Shapes Cricket’s Future
The Sheffield Shield remains the backbone of Australian cricket after 124 editions and 133 years of competition. South Australia’s consecutive titles in 2024/25 and 2025/26 have proved that patience and persistence eventually pay off in domestic cricket. Meanwhile, New South Wales continue to lead the all time tally with 47 championships.
However, Victoria (32) and Western Australia (18) have consistently challenged their dominance in recent decades. Every Australian cricket legend from Don Bradman to Steve Smith has developed their game through Shield cricket. As a result, the competition continues to serve as the primary pathway to Test selection and the toughest domestic cricket on the planet.
