Following their impressive individual performances in Australia’s Test tour of India, the duo has been included in Victoria’s squad for the upcoming Sheffield Shield final this week.
For the Sheffield Shield final that begins on Thursday against Western Australia, Victoria has announced a 14-man squad that includes the captain Peter Handscomb and off-spinner Todd Murphy.
After comfortably winning their final match of the regular season against WA last week, Victoria is set to travel to Perth for a rematch of the 2021-22 showpiece at the WACA. They have also included the duo, who have just returned from Australia’s Test tour of India, in their squad for the match.
Victoria secured their fifth consecutive win in that match, thereby booking their seventh final appearance in the last nine seasons of the Marsh Sheffield Shield.
The Victoria squad for the match against WA comprises of Peter Handscomb as the captain along with Scott Boland, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Travis Dean, Sam Harper as the wicketkeeper, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, Campbell Kellaway, Cam McClure, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Mitch Perry, Matt Short, and Will Sutherland.
Handscomb and Murphy are making a comeback after exhibiting strong individual performances in the Border-Gavaskar trophy series, despite Australia losing the series 2-1.
During the tour, the Victorian skipper emerged as the fourth-highest run-scorer for Australia with 145 runs at an average of 29, including an impressive unbeaten half-century in Delhi. On the other hand, Murphy had a successful debut series, taking 14 wickets in four Tests, which included a seven-wicket haul, and was widely appreciated for his accomplished performance.
The third Victorian in Australia’s Test squad in India, seamer Scott Boland, returned home earlier than his state teammates. He immediately showcased his prowess with the ball, taking 4-29 and 4-69 in the recent WACA victory.
Cricket Victoria Head Confident in Team’s Success for Sheffield Shield Final
David Hussey, the Head of Male Cricket at Cricket Victoria, stated that the team is confident of replicating their success this week.
According to David Hussey, the Head of Male Cricket at Cricket Victoria, winning five matches in a row to qualify for the final is a remarkable achievement. He expressed the team’s enthusiasm to travel to Perth and bring back the Shield. He also praised the team’s performance in the last match, where the bowling group led by Scott Boland and the batting group, especially Marcus Harris and Matt Short, executed their plans effectively during difficult periods.
David Hussey acknowledged that beating WA is a challenging task under any conditions, but qualifying for the final has given the team great momentum heading into this week’s match. He also appreciated the performances of Handscomb and Murphy on the world stage and considers the team fortunate to have them back in the squad for the final.
Handscomb to resume captaincy duties for Victoria in Sheffield Shield final
After Will Sutherland took charge in his absence, Handscomb will resume his captaincy duties.
The previous year’s final at the WACA ended in a tie, but WA emerged as champions as they earned more bonus points than Victoria during the game.
Before the 2018-19 season, the hosting state was awarded the Sheffield Shield in the case of a draw, but the bonus point system has been in place since then to decide the winner.
In the bonus point system, teams are awarded 0.01 bonus point for every run scored over 200 in the first 100 overs of their first innings. For instance, a score of 350 after 100 overs will earn a team 1.5 bonus points. Similarly, teams earn 0.1 bonus point for every wicket taken in the first 100 overs of their opponent’s first innings. For example, taking 10 wickets before the completion of 100 overs in the first innings will earn a team 1 point. Read more cricket news here at Indibet online, the best site to read cricket news.
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