The Sheffield Shield final kicked off with a dramatic start on March 26, 2025, as South Australia reduced Queensland to a mere 95 all out at Karen Rolton Oval. The first day of the decider saw an astonishing 16 wickets fall, showcasing a day dominated by bowlers, led by South Australia's Brendan Doggett, who claimed 6-31 in just 11.5 overs. The tumultuous start for Queensland included the dismissals of their star batsmen Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, who both registered disappointing scores.
Captain Nathan McSweeney of South Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision that quickly proved pivotal. Queensland stumbled to 5-22 within the first 15 overs, with Khawaja falling for just 2 runs after an eventful start where he was dropped twice. He eventually succumbed to Doggett’s bowling, caught on the fine-leg boundary by Nathan McAndrew. The problems deepened for the Bulls when Labuschagne, their captain, also fell early, departing for a duck as Jake Lehmann caught him at leg slip, leaving Queensland in deep trouble at 2-16.
As the Queensland innings struggled to stabilize, the wickets continued to tumble. Jack Clayton’s duck, alongside the dismissals of Angus Lovell (8) and Ben McDermott (4), saw the Bulls crash to 5-22. It wasn’t until lunch that Michael Neser (31 not out) and wicket-keeper Jimmy Peirson (9 not out) managed to propel the score to 5-64, providing a glimmer of hope. However, Peirson fell shortly after the interval, leg before wicket to Doggett, and with Neser managing a mere 34 runs amid the chaos, it became clear that the Queensland batting lineup was in disarray. Only three other players reached double figures, and Queensland's innings ended in just 36 overs.
The day didn’t get any better for the Bulls, as their innings marked the lowest score by a team batting first in a Shield final, surpassing the previous low of 102 set by Queensland against New South Wales in the 2004-05 season. Meanwhile, at stumps, South Australia looked to capitalize on this massive advantage, ending the day at 6-158, propelled by a robust performance from Jake Lehmann with 42 not out, and Ben Manenti with 36 not out. Their seventh-wicket partnership, which stands unbeaten at 46 runs, indicates resilience in the face of early losses.
The conditions at Karen Rolton Oval, which is often regarded as a batting haven, posed surprising challenges, with Queensland's keeper Jimmy Peirson noting the pitch offered slow seam movement, leading to an unexpected number of wickets falling. He expressed his initial expectation that the day would yield more runs: "I thought the wicket would be better than that; I thought it would be an eight down for 300 at the end of the day sort of wicket. I didn’t see 16 wickets falling, but finals are a weird thing."
Despite their batting woes, South Australia's bowlers performed magnificently. Alongside Doggett’s superb spell, Nathan McAndrew also made significant contributions with figures of 2-22, aiding immensely in putting pressure on the Queensland batting order. Doggett later commented on the nature of the pitch: "Obviously I had the ball swinging there a bit and was able to get some edges, and then Vidler just bowled fast and had our boys moving around."
For Queensland, the situation became increasingly dire as the pressure mounted. The inability to capitalize on early opportunities and the subsequent top-order collapse has raised concerns about their preparations. The absence of star batsman Matthew Renshaw, who missed the match due to the birth of his child, did not help their cause.
Looking ahead, South Australia hopes to seize this momentum and secure their first Sheffield Shield title since the 1995-96 season. As the teams head into the second day of the final, all eyes will be on the batting duo of Lehmann and Manenti to see if they can further extend South Australia's lead and capitalize on the lower-order collapse from Queensland.
With cricket fans eagerly tuning in, the final continues to unfold with promises of more ups and downs as teams battle for supremacy in this historic fixture.
