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The Pura Cup (formerly known as the Sheffield Shield, name will change at the commencement of the 2008-09 season due to the end of a sponsorship deal with National Foods) is the domestic first class cricket competition in Australia. Each of the six state teams play in a round-robin series of home and away 4-day matches against every other team. Teams are awarded points based on the results of the match, and after each pair of teams have played each other twice, the two highest ranked teams play a 5-day final. The final is played at the home ground of the team that finished on top of the table at the end of the regular season matches. In the case of a draw the season's champion is the home team. A separate limited overs competition known as the Ford Ranger Cup runs concurrently.
[edit] History
In 1891-92 the Earl of Sheffield was in Australia as the promoter of the English team led by W. G. Grace. The tour included three Tests played in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.
At the conclusion of the tour, Sheffield donated £150 to the New South Wales Cricket Association to fund a trophy for an annual tournament of intercolonial cricket in Australia. The three colonies of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia were already regularly playing ad-hoc matches which were very popular.
The new tournament commenced in the summer of 1892 with the three colonies playing for a silver shield named after its benefactor.
[edit] Sponsorship and name change
In 1999, the Australian Cricket Board (now Cricket Australia) announced a 4 year sponsorship deal which included renaming the Sheffield Shield to the Pura Milk Cup, then to the Pura Cup the following season. Pura is a brand name of National Foods a wholly owned subsidiary of the Philippines based San Miguel Corporation.
Although the competition had been running with losses of several million dollars per annum, cricket traditionalists protested strongly, arguing against the encroaching wave of commercialism damaging the competition that had been running for over 100 years. The competition is still colloquailly referred to by fans as the "Shield" either as force of habit, or as a subtle protest.
The sponsorship increased total annual prize money to A$220,000, with the winners receiving A$75,000 and the runners up A$45,000.
It was announced on March 13, 2008, just days before the final of the 2008 Pura Cup final, that Pura will no longer sponsor the competition. It is speculated that this will lead to the competition now reverting to its old name, the Sheffield Shield, unless there is another sponsor signing on before the next season begins.
See: Cricinfo article
- Wins up to and including 2007-08 season.
- Home grounds are the main venues used for home games by each team; other venues in the home state of each team are also regularly used.
[edit] Points system
A number of different systems have been used over the years. Currently, points are awarded for each match during the home and away season, with the top two teams playing in the final. The team with the most points hosts the final on their home ground and only needs to draw that match to win the title.
| Category |
What it means |
Points |
| First innings points |
The team that scores the most runs in their first innings, whether they bat first or second |
2 - retained even if beaten outright |
| Outright win |
The team that wins the match, whether they win, lose or tie the first innings |
6 - maximum points |
| Tied match |
If both teams finish on equal runs after completing two innings each |
3 - irrespective of first innings result |
| Tied innings |
Equal runs on first innings and no outright result |
1 each |
| Outright loss |
Team who loses the match after a tie in the first innings |
1 |
| First innings loss |
Team with the least amount of runs in the first innings |
0 |
| Outright loss |
Team who loses the match after losing in the first innings |
0 |
| Abandoned/Draw |
Abandoned or drawn match with no first innings result |
0 |
[edit] Winners table
Prior to the introduction of a Final in 1982/83, the team with most points after the home and away rounds was declared the winner. With the introduction of the Final, the top team hosts the second placed team in a five-day match. The visiting team must win the Final to win the championship; the home team wins the championship in the event of a tied or drawn Final.
| Season |
Winner |
Runner-up |
| 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 |
| 1915-19 |
(not contested due to 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 |
| 1940-46 |
(not contested due to 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 |
Western Australia |
| 1983-84 |
Western Australia |
Queensland |
| 1984-85 |
New South Wales |
Queensland |
| 1985-86 |
New South Wales |
Queensland |
| 1986-87 |
Western Australia |
Victoria |
| 1987-88 |
Western Australia |
Queensland |
| 1988-89 |
Western Australia |
South Australia |
| 1989-90 |
New South Wales |
Queensland |
| 1990-91 |
Victoria |
New South Wales |
| 1991-92 |
Western Australia |
New South Wales |
| 1992-93 |
New South Wales |
Queensland |
| 1993-94 |
New South Wales |
Tasmania |
| 1994-95 |
Queensland |
South Australia |
| 1995-96 |
South Australia |
Western Australia |
| 1996-97 |
Queensland |
Western Australia |
| 1997-98 |
Western Australia |
Tasmania |
| 1998-99 |
Western Australia |
Queensland |
| 1999-00 |
Queensland |
Victoria |
| 2000-01 |
Queensland |
Victoria |
| 2001-02 |
Queensland |
Tasmania |
| 2002-03 |
New South Wales |
Queensland |
| 2003-04 |
Victoria |
Queensland |
| 2004-05 |
New South Wales |
Queensland |
| 2005-06 |
Queensland |
Victoria |
| 2006-07 |
Tasmania |
New South Wales |
| 2007-08 |
New South Wales |
Victoria |
[edit] Player of the Year
The Player of the Year award is announced at the end of each season[1]. Since its inception in 1976 it has been awarded to the player or players who are considered to have returned consistently magnificent performances by a panel of judges. Victorian and South Australian batsman Matthew Elliott has won the award the most times, being awarded Player of the Year on 3 separate occasions.
[edit] Highlights
[edit] Records
[edit] Individual Records
[edit] Most matches played
[edit] Most dismissals
[edit] Team Records
[edit] Team Results
[edit] Highest Team Totals
[edit] Lowest Team Totals
[edit] Batting Records
[edit] Highest individual scores
| Rank |
Runs |
Player |
Match |
Venue |
Season |
| 1 |
452* |
Don Bradman (NSW) |
New South Wales v Queensland |
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney |
1929-30 |
| 2 |
437 |
Bill Ponsford (VIC) |
Victoria v Queensland |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne |
1927-28 |
| 3 |
365* |
Clem Hill (SA) |
South Australia v New South Wales |
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide |
1900-01 |
| 4 |
359 |
Bob Simpson (NSW) |
New South Wales v Queensland |
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane |
1963-64 |
| 5 |
357 |
Don Bradman (NSW) |
South Australia v Victoria |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne |
1935-36 |
| Source: [6]. Last updated: 1 June 2007. |
[edit] Most career runs
[edit] Most runs in a season
[edit] Highest batting averages
| Rank |
Average |
Player |
Career |
| 1 |
110.19 (96 inns.) |
Don Bradman (NSW/SA) |
1927-28 - 1948-49 |
| 2 |
83.27 (70 inns.) |
Bill Ponsford (VIC) |
1920-21 - 1933-34 |
| 3 |
70.88 (95 inns.) |
Alan Kippax (NSW) |
1918-19 - 1935-36 |
| 4 |
68.00 (81 inns.) |
Monty Noble (NSW) |
1893-94 - 1919-20 |
| 5 |
67.03 (64 inns.) |
Bill Woodfull (VIC) |
1921-22 - 1933-34 |
| Qualification: 20 innings.
Source: [9]. Last updated: 28 May 2007.
|
[edit] Most centuries
[edit] Bowling Records
[edit] Most career wickets
[edit] Most wickets in a season
[edit] Best career average
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- The History of the Sheffield Shield, Chris Harte
- A Century of Summers: 100 years of Sheffield Shield cricket, Geoff Armstrong
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