Sheffield Shield 2023-24 Points Table: Updated standings after Queensland vs New South Wales, Match 30

The final round of the ongoing Sheffield Shield 2023-24 (four-day matches) was concluded on Thursday, March 14.

South Australia Redbacks defeated Tasmanian Tigers by 134 runs, while Western Australia thumped Victoria by 138 runs. New South Wales also signed off on a high with a five-wicket win over Queensland Bulls.

Despite the loss, Tasmanian Tigers finished at the top of the points table to book their berth in the final. They finished with 47 points in 10 matches alongside a net run rate of +0.126. The Tigers registered five wins, two defeats, and three draws in their account.

Meanwhile, Western Australia became the second team to qualify for the final with 47 points and a net run rate of +0.098. They also finished with five wins, two losses, and three draws in 10 games.

New South Wales narrowly missed out and finished third in the points table with 42 points against their name. They finished the season with four wins, three defeats, and three draws in 10 fixtures.

On the other hand, Victoria registered four wins and four defeats alongside two draws to finish fourth in the points table. They managed 38 points in 10 matches alongside a net run rate of +0.051.

With their third win of the season, South Australia Redbacks finished fifth in the standings with 33 points in 10 matches. The Redbacks lost six matches this season alongside three wins and one draw.

At the same time, Queensland Bulls finished at the bottom of the points table this season. They notched up only two wins and two draws alongside six defeats in 10 matches to earn 25 points.

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Tasmanian Tigers get a reality check ahead of the final

Tasmanian Tigers invited South Australia to bat first after winning the toss. Thanks to Nathan McSweeney’s 117, South Australia posted a respectable total of 271/10. In reply, The Tigers from Tasmania fell like nine pins and got bundled out for 123 as Nathan McAndrew bagged a six-fer.

The bowlers pulled back the game by dismissing South Australia for 175 runs in the second innings. However, Tasmanian Tigers failed with the bat once again and got dismissed for 189 to lose the game by 134 runs. Jordan Buckingham bagged five wickets in the second innings for South Australia.

In the second game, Victoria won the toss and asked Western Australia to bat first. Their bowlers backed the decision and dismissed Western Australia for just 241 runs in the first innings. However, their batters failed miserably and got out for 144 runs in the first innings. Cameron Gannon emerged as a star with the ball and picked up a five-fer.

In the second innings, Western Australia also failed with the bat and scored 168/10. Chasing the total, Victoria's batting failed for the second time in the game as they got all out for 130 runs to lose the game by 138 runs.

In the third match, New South Wales bowled first after winning the toss against Queensland Bulls. Chris Tremain ran through the Bulls’ batting lineup with six wickets and dismissed them for just 144. In reply, New South Wales posted 316 runs courtesy of a 131-run knock from Oliver Davies.

In the second innings, Queensland Bulls put up a better show with the bat to reach 301 runs to set a target of 130. New South Wales did stutter a bit in the middle but eventually reached the total with five wickets in hand.