Photo Credit: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia has today announced a reconfigured schedule for the 2020-21 Marsh Sheffield Shield, Marsh One-Day Cup and Women’s National Cricket League seasons.
After consultation with States and Territories Associations and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, CA has agreed to condense both the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup in recognition of the extra requirements and responsibilities placed upon players, officials and staff on account of the coronavirus pandemic and related bio-security protocols.
MARSH SHEFFIELD SHIELD
The 2020-21 Marsh Sheffield Shield will now consist of eight home-and-away rounds followed by a final starting on April 15.
The first phase of the competition was conducted in a bio-secure hub in Adelaide, during which time Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia played four games, Queensland and New South Wales played three games and Victoria played two games. The remaining matches will be hosted on a traditional home-and-away basis provided the public health environment is conducive to doing so.
In addition, the newly revamped Ian Healy Oval will become the 12th venue in Queensland to host a First Class match from March 23-26. The venue has recently been upgraded as part of the $18.6 million National Cricket Campus Project, supported by the Australian and Queensland Governments, Brisbane City Council, Cricket Australia, Queensland Cricket and Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club, and was officially opened last month.
Marsh Sheffield Shield matches will be streamed on cricket.com.au, while Foxtel and Kayo will also show the NSW v Victoria Marsh Sheffield Shield clash from February 17-20 and their reverse fixture on February 25-28.
Remaining Marsh Sheffield Shield fixtures:
*denotes match to be shown on Foxtel and Kayo. Live streaming available on cricket.com.au.
February 17-20: New South Wales v Victoria (Sydney Cricket Ground)*
February 17-20: Tasmania v Queensland (Blundstone Arena)
February 25-28: Western Australia v South Australia (WACA Ground)
February 25-28: Victoria v New South Wales (Melbourne Cricket Ground)*
March 5-8: Victoria v Tasmania (Melbourne Cricket Ground)
March 6-9: South Australia v New South Wales (Adelaide Oval)
March 6-9: Queensland v Western Australia (Gabba)
March 15-18: Queensland v Victoria (Allan Border Field)
March 20-23: Tasmania v New South Wales (Blundstone Arena)
March 23-26: Queensland v South Australia (Ian Healy Oval, Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club)
March 25-28: Western Australia v Victoria (WACA Ground)
April 3-6: Victoria v South Australia (CitiPower Centre)
April 3-6: New South Wales v Queensland (North Dalton Park)
April 3-6: Western Australia v Tasmania (WACA Ground)
April 15-19: Final (Venue TBC)*
MARSH ONE-DAY CUP
The 2020-21 Marsh One-Day Cup will be played over five rounds and will culminate in a final on April 11. The tournament will also be played predominantly in a home-and-away format assuming there are no restrictions between state borders.
All Marsh One-Day Cup matches will be streamed live on Kayo and cricket.com.au, with 12 matches including the Final also on Foxtel.
Marsh One-Day Cup fixtures:
**denotes match to be shown on Foxtel. All matches streamed on Kayo and cricket.com.au.
February 15: New South Wales v Victoria (North Sydney Oval)**
February 22: Tasmania v Queensland (Blundstone Arena)**
March 2: Western Australia v South Australia (WACA Ground)**
March 4: South Australia v New South Wales (Adelaide Oval, day/night)
March 10: Victoria v Tasmania (CitiPower Centre)**
March 11: Queensland v Western Australia (Gabba)**
March 12: South Australia v Tasmania (CitiPower Centre)**
March 14: New South Wales v Western Australia (North Sydney Oval)**
March 18: Tasmania v New South Wales (Blundstone Arena)**
March 20: Queensland v Victoria (Allan Border Field)**
March 23: Western Australia v Victoria (WACA Ground)
March 28: Queensland v South Australia (Allan Border Field)
March 31: New South Wales v Queensland (North Sydney Oval, day/night)**
April 8: Victoria v South Australia (CitiPower Centre)**
April 8: Western Australia v Tasmania (WACA Ground)
April 11: Final (Venue TBC)**
WOMEN’S NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE
A number of adjustments have been made to the WNCL schedule for the remainder of the season. At least seven games will be streamed on cricket.com.au, with the Final to also be shown on Foxtel and Kayo.
Remaining Women’s National Cricket League fixtures:
*** denotes match to be streamed on cricket.com.au only
****denotes match to be shown on Foxtel, Kayo and cricket.com.au
February 10: Victoria v New South Wales (CitiPower Centre)***
February 12: Victoria v New South Wales (CitiPower Centre)***
February 17: Tasmania v Western Australia (Kingston Twin Ovals)
February 19: Tasmania v Western Australia (Kingston Twin Ovals)
February 20: Queensland v South Australia (Allan Border Field)
February 21: Victoria v Australian Capital Territory (CitiPower Centre)***
February 23: Victoria v South Australia (CitiPower Centre)***
February 25: Tasmania v New South Wales (Blundstone Arena)
February 27: Queensland v Western Australia (Allan Border Field)
February 28: Tasmania v Victoria (Blundstone Arena)
February 28: South Australia v New South Wales (Karen Rolton Oval)
March 1: Queensland v Western Australia (Allan Border Field)
March 5: Australian Capital Territory v New South Wales (EPC Solar Park)
March 5: Victoria v Queensland (CitiPower Centre)***
March 7: Australian Capital Territory v New South Wales (EPC Solar Park)
March 7: Tasmania v Queensland (Blundstone Arena)
March 9: Western Australia v South Australia (WACA Ground)
March 12: Western Australia v Australian Capital Territory (WACA Ground, day/night)
March 18: Western Australia v Victoria (WACA Ground)
March 19: New South Wales v Queensland (North Sydney Oval)
March 19: South Australia v Tasmania (Karen Rolton Oval)
March 20: Western Australia v Victoria (WACA Ground)
March 21: New South Wales v Queensland (North Sydney Oval)***
March 21: South Australia v Australian Capital Territory (Karen Rolton Oval, day/night)
March 27 Final (Venue TBC)****
Drew Ginn, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager High Performance, thanked everyone across Australian Cricket for their professionalism, persistence and passion to deliver an outstanding summer of domestic cricket in challenging circumstances.
“Today’s announcement safeguards the integrity of the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup competitions while managing the physical and mental wellbeing of players, officials and staff on account of the extraordinary demands placed upon them this season,” Ginn said. “It also ensures that we will see a full Women’s National Cricket League schedule executed over the coming months.
“Every person across Australian Cricket has worked incredibly hard to deliver this summer of cricket and should be proud of those efforts. At the same time, the lived experience of operating through the pandemic has provided us all with new appreciation and perspective for the increased workloads required to deliver elite, national sporting competitions.
“It is out of this duty of care that, with the input and support of the States and Territories Associations and the ACA, we have elected to shorten the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup, while ensuring both competitions are of a sufficient length to ensure a high-level of competition for teams and players.
“As has been the case throughout the summer, we will need to remain agile and responsive given the public health situation across the country. The health and wellbeing of players, officials and staff remains the top priority.
“It is quite fitting our Sheffield Shield and One Day Cup partner, Marsh, has enhanced our ability to navigate the evolving risks to execute this season in their long-term role as Cricket Australia’s Risk Management advisors.”
Brendan Drew, ACA General Manager Cricket Operations and Player relations, said:
“We’re proud of our players for their commitment to domestic cricket and the way they have taken the uncertainty of the schedule in their stride.
“The ACA is pleased that a full WNCL scheduled will be executed for our female players while an eight-game Sheffield Shield season and five-game Marsh Cup season plus finals takes into account a level of fatigue for our male players following the BBL.
Photo Credit: LinkedIn profile picture of Brendan Drew
“From the outset, the players have maintained that domestic cricket is a vital cog of the Australian game and we are pleased that a balanced 2021 schedule will be able to support these competitions over the coming months. And, with a number of Australian players available for both the male and female domestic competitions over the coming months it provides a great opportunity for domestic cricketers to test themselves against their Australian counterparts.
“The ACA commends Cricket Australia and the States for their flexibility in delivering a domestic schedule in evolving and challenging circumstances.”
States will advise which matches will be open to the public as per the public health situation in their jurisdiction at the time.
Name of Author: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia (CA), formerly the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for cricket in Australia. Established in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket, CA manages all national teams, including Men’s, Women’s, and Youth sides, as well as other national teams. It oversees the organization of Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is, and coordinates home international fixtures.
