Victoria’s summer of cricket is building to a pretty significant finish. Victoria have secured a home Sheffield Shield final against South Australia at Junction Oval from 26-30 March, 2026. After a season spent comfortably on top of the ladder, Victoria won’t just be hosting, they’ll be going in as the team to beat. Read on to find out why this might be Victoria’s strongest shot at lifting the Shield on home turf since 2019. Plus, get an exclusive online price of up to 20% off compared with buying at the gate!
The Victorian Pillars
First up, Scott Boland. This cricket veteran quite literally bowled Victoria into this year’s final. In the crucial clash against WA at the WACA in February, Boland ripped through the second innings with a devastating spell (6-22) that flipped the match on its head. Despite missing chunks of the season due to Ashes commitments and international duties, he’s still taken 22 wickets at an absurd average of 13.40. Oh, and he’s Victoria’s all-time leading Shield wicket-taker.
Then there’s the skipper, Will Sutherland. At just 26 years old, he’s transformed from promising prospect into the hardened captain of the team. He’s the engine room of this side, and a genuine match-winner with both bat and ball. He recently smashed 147 against Tasmania to rescue Victoria from a tricky position (his second Shield century) underlining his genuine all-rounder credentials. To add to this, his sister, Annabel Sutherland, just claimed the prestigious Belinda Clark Medal as the best player in Australian women’s cricket. It’s rare enough to see siblings reach elite levels in professional sport—rarer still for both to be operating at the peak of their powers at the same time.
The Run Machines
Victoria aren’t just dominating with the ball. Peter Handscomb currently leads the Shield run charts with 579 runs, anchoring innings with trademark calm. Right behind him? Teammate Sam Harper on 547 runs, and coming off one of the most remarkable performances in recent memory. In February against WA, Harper became just the second wicketkeeper in Shield history to score twin centuries in a match (and the first ever to do so for Victoria). The “Harper Double” provided the perfect attacking complement to Boland’s clinical bowling. It’s this balance of grit, flair, experience and youth that has made Victoria a clinical winning machine this season.
What Happens Next?
From 26-30 March, the Shield final returns to Melbourne. It’s been a minute since Melbourne hosted the decider. The last time Victoria both hosted and won a Shield final was back in the 2018/19 season, when they crushed NSW by 177 runs. This year, after sitting comfortably atop the ladder for most of the season, Victoria secured hosting rights with matches to spare, meaning the final returns to Junction Oval for the first time in seven years.
While the MCG may be the spiritual home of cricket, Junction’s deck suits Victoria’s relentless, line-and-length attack perfectly. Visiting teams know they’re walking into a grind at this fortress!
This season, Victoria has dominated the standings, controlled the individual leaderboards, and built momentum at exactly the right time. With hosting rights secured, a bowling attack humming, the captain in career-best form, and a fortress venue, 2025/26 is set to become even more memorable than the 2018/19 season. Get your tickets to the final to be a part of it.
