ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2009

Australia in 2008/09 The Australian season in 2008/09 included 37 first-class matches, including two Tests and a first-class match involving New Zealand and a three-Test series against South Africa. Australia comfortably won both Tests against New Zealand but lost the series against South Africa by two matches to one. Australia thus met with their second series defeat of the season (having already lost two-nil in India) and their first series defeat at home since losing to West Indies in 1992/93. A measure of revenge was achieved by winning the return series in South Africa at the end of the season (see South Africa section). The 31 remaining games were all for the Sheffield Shield, in which the six state sides play a home-and-away league followed by a final between the top two. Victoria emphatically headed the table with six wins and were the only team without a defeat. Queensland, by taking second place, won the right to challenge Victoria in the final but as this match was drawn, Victoria won the Shield by virtue of their superior record at the league stage. Sheffield Shield 2008/09: Final table P W L LWF DWF DLF Pts Quot 6 0 2 2 0 1 Victoria 10 6 0 0 4 0 44 1.520 2 Queensland 10 4 3 2 0 1 28 0.949 3 South Australia 10 4 3 0 1 2 26 1.064 4 Tasmania 10 4 4 1 0 1 26 0.881 5 Western Australia 10 3 4 1 0 2 20 0.836 6 New South Wales 10 2 4 1 2 1 18 0.878 FINAL: VICTORIA drew with QUEENSLAND but won the Shield by virtue of heading the table. 41