Sheffield Shield 2020-21 News

Shane Warne is undoubtedly the greatest leg-spinners of all time and for any other leg-spinner to replicate a delivery similar to what he used to do in his heydays is surely a commendable thing. Yes, you heard it right. Mitchell Swepson pulled off a near impersonation of the Spin Wizard during a Sheffield Shield game on Monday. The Queensland tweaker breached through the defence of Daniel Hughes with a sensational delivery. It pitched way halfway on the surface outside the off stump and turned square to take the leg stump and Hughes had no idea about the delivery. He was castled after making 16. The delivery bowled by Swepson was quite similar to the one Warne bowled to Shivnarine Chanderpaul back in 1996. Back then Shane Warne had castled the West Indies left-hander from around the wicket and the ball turned square on that occasion as well. Meanwhile, Swepson was in his stride right from the word go and castled Hughes in just his third delivery of his first over. However, during a discussion with cricket.com.au after the dismissal and the day’s play, Swepson said that it didn’t actually feel great when the ball came out of the hand. He said that it felt like more of a half-tracker but the ball turned square to dismantle the timbers. “Look at the turn! Prodigious turn,” a commentator said. “Almost so wide it hit the footmarks on the edge of the pitch and spun sharply.” The leggie also took the wicket of Kurtis Patterson as the New South Wales Blues finished at 49/2 at the end of the third day’s play. On the back of a century from Marnus Labuschagne, New South Wales posted 381 on the board in the first innings while Queensland replied with 433.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood became the third Aussie after all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and wicket-keeper batsman Josh Philippe to skip the 2021 season of the Indian Premier League citing bubble fatigue. Hazlewood, part of the Chennai Super Kings in the last IPL edition, said that he wanted to spend quality time with family having spent a huge amount of time in various bio- bubbles since last August. "It's been a long 10 months in bubbles and quarantine at different times, so I decided to have a rest from cricket and spend some time at home and in Australia in the next two months," cricket.com.au quoted Hazlewood as saying. The line length specialist was also upfront about his priorities being representing his nation all refreshed instead of warming the benches in India. "We've got a big winter ahead too. The West Indies is going to be a long tour, with Bangladesh (T20 tour) potentially thrown at the end of that,” he said. "Then potentially the T20 World Cup leading into the Ashes, so it's a big 12 months, as it always is with Australia, and I want to give myself the best chance to be mentally and physically ready for that. That's the decision I've made, and it sits pretty well with me," added the 30-year-old. Hazlewood who has 30 wickets combining Tests and ODIs wish to compete for his side New South Wales in their pursuit of what could be a rare quadruple if they go on to retain the Sheffield Shield (Four Day) and win the Marsh Cup (50 over). Having already won the WBBL through Sydney Thunder Women and BBL through Sydney Sixers, New South Wales could cape off an unbeatable domestic season if they win the Shield and the Cup. "The workloads are a bit too low … to play (both) Wollongong and the Shield final if we make it – hopefully I can use the next two weeks to build up and if we're in the Shield final I can play that," said Hazlewood.

Tasmania’s Jackson Bird rattled New South Wales during their Sheffield Shield match in Hobart after he bagged a seven-wicket haul against them. Tasmania ended NSW’s first innings for a mere score of 32 in reply to their 333. The Mathew Wade-led side just used up 19.3 overs to conclude NSW’s first innings. The New South Wales team lost three wickets without bothering scorers and were soon left tottering at 19/6 to before ending the innings at 32 eventually, handing Tasmania a massive lead of 301 runs. Wicket-keeper batsman and NSW’s skipper Peter Nevill was the only batsman to reach the double-figure mark after he remained not out for 10. NSW’s four batsmen were undone for a duck while Sean Abbott was retired hurt. Peter Siddle and Rainbird also scalped a wicket apiece for Tasmania. Wade’s side then set a huge target of 493 runs as they scored 191 in the second innings. Paine top-scored for his side with 40. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon was pick of the bowlers for NSW in the second innings after he picked up four wickets while Jason Sangha removed three Tasmanian batsmen during the course. Earlier, Tim Paine struck 87 for Tasmania while captain Wade also notched up a half-century as Tasmania put 333 on the board in the first innings. Mitchell Starc, Trent Copeland and Harry Conway got three wicket each for their side. NSW is presently placed second with three wins and 28 points while Tasmania are at fifth spot with 12 points and no wins so far in the competition.

Emerging Australia batsman Will Pucosvi is set to spend a lot of time out of the action due to the shoulder injury he sustained in the third Test match against India earlier last month. The right-hander is set to undergo surgery on ‘shoulder subluxation’ and will miss most part of the Australian domestic season. The surgery and the long period of rehabilitation will jeopardise his chances to get back in the Australia squad for the Ashes series due to be held later at the end of the year. Pucovski was selected for the Test series against Australia on the back of splendid performances in the early Sheffield Season but a blow on his head and subsequent concussion ruled him out of the first two Tests of the series. He later came back in the third Test at the SCG only to miss out once again due to the shoulder injury which he picked up while trying to dive in fielding on the fifth and final day of the SCG. He has been missing in action since.

In a dramatic sequence of events, Cricket Australia the governing body for the Archipelago’s national sport airlifted several players involved in the Indian series from their bases in Western Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland along with South Australia to Sydney and Coffs Harbour New South Wales. This was done to avoid any risk of the cricketing summer getting disrupted because of the covid-19, as fresh signs of a spike in the cases were seen in Adelaide, South Australia. The players airlifted are either a part of the Australian men's ODI and T20I squads which would take on India or those who will participate in the Big Bash League and have their bases in Western Australia, Tasmania, or Queensland as the three states closed its borders with South Australia (SA) following a spike. "CA has taken a pro-active approach and mobilized a number of people across the country over the past 24 hours to shore up our men's domestic and international schedules," Cricket Australia's Interim CEO Nick Hockley said. While the international players have been moved to Sydney, those based out of South Australia along with the Adelaide Strikers team have been moved to a training base in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. Adelaide doesn’t get a Big Bash League game until December 28 as the initial leg is staged in Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland. Players were enjoying a week off when they got the call to pack urgently and prepare to relocate, with some of the Strikers squad having to make a mad dash back home from Kangaroo Island. "I would like to thank the players and staff for their understanding regarding the changes to their travel schedules and for their commitment to ensuring the summer of cricket is a huge success,” Hockley added. The CA also confirmed that no domestic player visited any of the "hot spots" in Adelaide as identified by the SA Health department, during the Sheffield Shield last week.

Australia Test captain Tim Paine has been forced to self isolate along with his teammates in domestic cricket after fresh COVID cases were reported in Adelaide, South Australia, where the Tigers had played there last game against Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield. "Tasmanian Tigers Sheffield Shield squad is self-isolating as we wait for further advice from Public Health," a Cricket Tasmania spokesman was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald. "Players and staff have COVID-19 swab tests scheduled for later today,” she added. Although the number of cases in Adelaide has risen from four on Sunday to 17 on Monday, Cricket Australia is still hopeful that it would have no impact on the upcoming first Test match between Australia and India - a day/night affair with the pink ball, scheduled for 17 December at Adelaide Oval. "There is ongoing monitoring but that's the end of the story," a CA spokeswoman said. Tim Paine has however shown happiness over the fact that Indian captain Virat Kohli will not be available for the entire Test series, thereby giving Australia an opportunity to get back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which India won in 2018. "But I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a side of me that said I was slightly happy he won't be there for three of the Test matches,” Paine said about Kohli.