# 2008–09 Sheffield Shield season

The 2008–09 Sheffield Shield season was the 107th season of official first-class domestic cricket in Australia. After nine seasons of being named the Pura Cup, it was announced that the Australian interstate trophy would return to its previous name of the Sheffield Shield as part of a new sponsorship agreement with Weet-Bix. The season began on 10 October 2008 when Queensland took on Tasmania at the Gabba. The two points table leaders at the end of the regular season, Victoria and Queensland, played each other in the final at the Junction Oval, with Victoria becoming Sheffield Shield champions after a drawn match thanks to their superior results in the regular season.

## Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Quo | Pts |
| 1 | Victoria (Q) | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1.520 | 44 |
| 2 | Queensland (Q) | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.949 | 28 |
| 3 | South Australia | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1.064 | 26 |
| 4 | Tasmania | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.881 | 26 |
| 5 | Western Australia | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.836 | 20 |
| 6 | New South Wales | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.878 | 18 |
* Points system: 6 for a win, 3 for a tie, 0 for a draw or loss.
* Bonus point system: 2 for a first innings lead in a drawn or lost match, 1 for a first innings tie in a drawn or lost match.

## Teams

| Club | Home Ground | Captain |
| New South Wales Blues | Sydney Cricket Ground | Simon Katich |
| Queensland Bulls | The Gabba | Chris Simpson |
| Southern Redbacks | Adelaide Oval | Graham Manou |
| Tasmanian Tigers | Bellerive Oval | Daniel Marsh |
| Victorian Bushrangers | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Cameron White |
| Western Warriors | WACA Ground | Marcus North |

## Fixtures and results
### Round 1

* 10–12 October Scorecard
* Queensland won by 48 runs The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and John Ward Player of the match: Chris Hartley (Queensland)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Queensland 6, Tasmania 0
* 10–13 October Scorecard
* Western Australia won by 8 wickets WACA Ground, Perth Umpires: Andrew Craig and Bob Parry Player of the match: Steve Magoffin
* Western Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Western Australia 6, New South Wales 0
* Arron Crawford (Western Australia) made his first-class debut.
* Grant Lambert (New South Wales) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
* 14–17 October Scorecard
* Match drawn Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: Rod Tucker and Tony Ward Player of the match: Nick Jewell
* Victoria won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: Victoria 2, South Australia 0
* Jon Holland (Victoria) made his first-class debut.

### Round 2

* 19–22 October Scorecard
* Western Australia won by 4 wickets WACA Ground, Perth Umpires: Paul Reiffel and Mick Martell Player of the match: Steve Magoffin (Western Australia)
* Western Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Western Australia 6, Tasmania 0
* 21–23 October Scorecard
* Victoria won by 9 wickets The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: Andrew Craig and Ian Lock Player of the match: Dirk Nannes (Victoria)
* Victoria won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Victoria 6, Queensland 0
* Robert Quiney (Victoria) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.
* 24–27 October Scorecard
* Match drawn Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: Jeff Brookes and Rod Tucker Player of the match: Phillip Hughes (New South Wales)
* South Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: New South Wales 2, South Australia 0

### Round 3

* 31 October – 3 November Scorecard
* Queensland won by 127 runs WACA Ground, Perth Umpires: Ian Lock and Mick Martell Player of the match: Ashley Noffke (Queensland)
* Western Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Queensland 6, Western Australia 0
* Paul Davis and Wes Robinson (Western Australia) both made their first-class debut.
* 3–6 November Scorecard
* Tasmania won by 3 wickets Bellerive Oval, Hobart Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Tony Ward Player of the match: Ben Hilfenhaus (Tasmania)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Tasmania 6, South Australia 0
* Peter George (South Australia) made his first-class debut.
* Tim MacDonald (Tasmania) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
* 4–7 November Scorecard
* Match drawn Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: Paul Reiffel and Simon Fry Player of the match: Chris Rogers (Victoria)
* New South Wales won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: Victoria 2, New South Wales 0
* Burt Cockley (New South Wales) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

### Round 4

* 10–13 November Scorecard
* Match drawn Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: Simon Fry and John Ward Player of the match: Michael Klinger
* Western Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: South Australia 2, Western Australia 0
* James Smith and Tom Cooper (South Australia) both made their first-class debut.
* Wes Robinson (Western Australia) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.
* 15–18 November Scorecard
* Victoria won by 10 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: Ian Lock and Bob Parry Player of the match: Clint McKay (Victoria)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: Victoria 6, Tasmania 0
* Clint McKay (Victoria) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
* 21–24 November Scorecard
* Queensland won by 10 wickets Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: Gerard Abood and Simon Taufel Player of the match: Martin Love (Queensland)
* Points: Queensland 6, New South Wales 0
* Chris Simpson (Queensland) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

### Round 5

* 21–24 November Scorecard
* Victoria won by 6 wickets WACA Ground, Perth Umpires: Andrew Craig and John Ward Player of the match: Chris Rogers (Victoria)
* Victoria won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Victoria 6, Western Australia 0
* James Pattinson (Victoria) made his first-class debut.
* 28 November – 1 December Scorecard
* South Australia won by 3 wickets The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: Jeff Brookes and Paul Reiffel Player of the match: Michael Klinger (South Australia)
* South Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: South Australia 6, Queensland 0
* 2–4 December Scorecard
* Tasmania won by 3 wickets Bellerive Oval, Hobart Umpires: Bob Parry and Simon Fry Player of the match: Phillip Hughes (New South Wales)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Tasmania 6, New South Wales 2
* Jonathan Wells (Tasmania) made his first-class debut.

### Round 6

* 15–17 December Scorecard
* Victoria won by 8 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: Ian Lock and Tony Ward Player of the match: Damien Wright (Victoria)
* Victoria won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Victoria 6, Western Australia 0
* Joshua Mangan (Western Australia) made his first-class debut.
* 16–19 December Scorecard
* Tasmania won by 6 wickets Bellerive Oval, Hobart Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Jeff Brookes Player of the match: Luke Butterworth (Tasmania)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Tasmania 6, Queensland 2
* James Faulkner (Tasmania) made his first-class debut.
* Luke Butterworth (Tasmania) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
* 18–21 December Scorecard
* New South Wales won by 75 runs Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: Gerard Abood and Rod Tucker Player of the match: Doug Bollinger (New South Wales)
* New South Wales won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: New South Wales 6, South Australia 0

### Round 7

* 30 January – 2 February Scorecard
* New South Wales won by 114 runs Newcastle Number 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle Umpires: Jeff Brookes and Rod Tucker Player of the match: Phillip Hughes (New South Wales)
* New South Wales won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: New South Wales 6, Tasmania 0
* Alex Doolan (Tasmania) made his first-class debut.
* Brett Geeves (Tasmania) was stranded on 99 not out for the second time this season, both times after teammate Tim Macdonald was caught for the tenth wicket. Only Len Hutton, Rajeev Nayyar, and Michael Richardson had previously suffered this fate twice in first-class cricket, and Geeves is the only one of the four to have never achieved a first-class century.
* 30 January – 2 February Scorecard
* Western Australia won by 6 wickets The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: Bob Parry and Simon Fry Player of the match: Brett Dorey (Western Australia)
* Western Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Western Australia 6, Queensland 2
* Drew Porter and Marcus Stoinis (Western Australia), and Scott Walter (Queensland) all made their first-class debut.
* 30 January – 2 February Scorecard
* Victoria won by 25 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: John Ward and Mick Martell Player of the match: Graham Manou (South Australia)
* Victoria won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: Victoria 6, South Australia 0
* Dan Christian (South Australia) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

### Round 8

* 13–16 February Scorecard
* South Australia won by 19 runs Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: Jeff Brookes and Tony Ward Player of the match: Graham Manou (South Australia)
* South Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: South Australia 6, Queensland 0
* Jake Haberfield (South Australia) made his first-class debut.
* 15–17 February Scorecard
* Victoria won by an innings and 2 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: John Ward and Simon Fry Player of the match: Clint McKay (Victoria)
* New South Wales won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: Victoria 6, New South Wales 0
* Peter Nevill (New South Wales) made his first-class debut.
* John Hastings (Victoria) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
* 16–18 February Scorecard
* Tasmania won by 5 wickets Bellerive Oval, Hobart Umpires: Ian Lock and Mick Martell Player of the match: Daniel Marsh (Tasmania)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Tasmania 6, Western Australia 2
* Luke Towers and Michael Johnson (Western Australia) both made their first-class debut.

### Round 9

* 26 February – 1 March Scorecard
* Queensland won by an innings and 129 runs The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: Brian Jerling and Ian Lock Player of the match: Martin Love (Queensland)
* New South Wales won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Queensland 6, New South Wales 0
* Usman Khawaja (Queensland) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.
* 26 February – 1 March Scorecard
* Match drawn Bellerive Oval, Hobart Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Simon Fry Player of the match: Matthew Wade (Victoria)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: Victoria 2, Tasmania 0
* Steve Gilmour (Victoria) made his first-class debut.
* Matthew Wade (Victoria) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.
* 26 February – 1 March Scorecard
* South Australia won by 9 wickets WACA Ground, Perth Umpires: Bob Parry and Paul Reiffel Player of the match: Daniel Harris (South Australia)
* South Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* Points: South Australia 6, Western Australia 0

### Round 10

* 5–8 March Scorecard
* Match drawn The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: Ian Lock and Paul Reiffel Player of the match: Brad Hodge (Victoria)
* Queensland won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: Victoria 2, Queensland 0
* 5–8 March Scorecard
* Match drawn Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and John Ward Player of the match: Usman Khawaja (New South Wales)
* Western Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: New South Wales 2, Western Australia 0
* David Warner and Mitchell Starc (New South Wales) both made their first-class debut.
* 5–8 March Scorecard
* South Australia won by 5 wickets Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: Bob Parry and Brian Jerling Player of the match: Mark Cleary (South Australia)
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to bat.
* Points: South Australia 6, Tasmania 2
* Jeremy Smith (Tasmania) made his first-class debut.

### Final

* 13–17 March Scorecard
* Match drawn Junction Oval, Melbourne Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Paul Reiffel Player of the match: Cameron White (Victoria)
* Victoria won the toss and elected to bat.
* Victoria win the Sheffield Shield by virtue of finishing top of the points table.

## Statistics
### Most Runs

| Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | HS | 100s | 50s |
| Michael Klinger | South Australia | 10 | 19 | 1203 | 70.76 | 255 | 4 | 4 |
| Chris Rogers | Victoria | 11 | 19 | 1195 | 74.68 | 159 | 5 | 5 |
| Phil Hughes | New South Wales | 7 | 13 | 891 | 74.25 | 198 | 4 | 3 |

### Most Wickets

| Player | Team | Matches | Overs | Wickets | Average | BBI | 5W |
| Brett Dorey | Western Australia | 10 | 365.3 | 42 | 24.11 | 6/28 | 4 |
| Dirk Nannes | Victoria | 8 | 235.0 | 38 | 21.00 | 7/50 | 1 |
| Steve Magoffin | Western Australia | 9 | 331.3 | 38 | 22.86 | 6/66 | 1 |