‘Disappointed’ CA responds to Shield shock as AFL blocks Adelaide Oval from hosting final
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‘Disappointed’ CA responds to Shield shock as AFL blocks Adelaide Oval from hosting final
Cricket Australia has confirmed the Sheffield Shield final will take place at Karen Rolton Oval after the AFL blocked South Australia’s bid to host the marquee fixture at Adelaide Oval.
After South Australia secured hosting rights for the Sheffield Shield decider, Premier Peter Malinauskas and SACA pushed for the match to be played at Adelaide Oval, wedged between Port Adelaide’s match against Richmond on Saturday, March 22 and the Adelaide Crows’ game against North Melbourne at the same venue the following Sunday.
The venue’s drop-in pitches have already been removed, but there was a possibility for them to be reinstated for the five-day contest with minimal impact on the playing surface.
However,
the AFL and Crows expressed concerns about player safety — the venue’s outfield would need to be cut for the Sheffield Shield final and the grass wouldn’t grow back to the league’s usual standard before Adelaide’s match.
And following days of negotiations between the South Australian government, CA, SACA and the AFL, it proved too difficult to transform Adelaide Oval with such a short turnaround.
“We are disappointed South Australia has been prevented from hosting the Sheffield Shield final at Adelaide Oval,” CA chief executive Todd Greenberg said in a statement.
“The Sheffield Shield final is a significant event for Australia’s national sport, and we believe Adelaide Oval would have been the most appropriate venue.
“I would like to thank Premier Malinauskas for his advocacy in this matter and his passionate support of cricket and the South Australia Cricket Association which made an extremely compelling case to host the final at Adelaide Oval.
“March is a very important month for cricket including the Sheffield Shield and Premier and club cricket finals.
“We will continue to work collaboratively at all levels to ensure cricket gains and provides appropriate access to shared venues across the country.”
Instead, suburban venue Karen Rolton Oval will host the Sheffield Shield final, with South Australia’s opponent to be determined in the coming days.
South Australia, formerly known as the Redbacks, has not won a Sheffield Shield title since 1996.
