The Sheffield Shield 2025-26 season started on October 4, 2025, and will run until March 2026.
The Sheffield Shield is Australia’s biggest domestic first-class cricket competition. It features the best cricket talent from six state teams competing against each other.
You’ll get the current points table, match results, and list of upcoming fixtures to follow the tournament as you continue to read.
Sheffield Shield Points Table
The tournament has started, and all the teams have played their first matches. Here’s the updated table after the opening games:
| No | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Draw | Tied | NR | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.03 |
| 2 | New South Wales | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Queensland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.53 |
| 4 | Tasmania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.51 |
| 5 | South Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.77 |
| 6 | Western Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Victoria is at the top after winning their first match against South Australia by scoring 8.03 points. Queensland and Tasmania shared points from their drawn match, while Western Australia has had a slow beginning.
How Does the Sheffield Shield Points System Work?
The Shield’s points system rewards both results and performances. It’s not just about winning; teams can also earn bonus points for how they bat and bowl in their first innings.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Win: 6 points
- Tie: 3 points for each team
- Draw: 2 points for each team
- Loss: 0 points (but can still get bonus points)
Teams can get up to 4 extra bonus points in each match. These points are very important because they can change who makes it to the final.
Batting Bonus Points:
- Teams get 0.01 points for every run they score over 200 in their first innings
- The maximum is 2 points (when a team scores 400 runs or more)
- For example, if a team scores 300 runs, they get 1 bonus point
Bowling Bonus Points:
- Teams get points for taking wickets in the opponent’s first innings
- More wickets mean more bonus points
- The maximum is 2 points
Other Important Rules:
- Bonus points only count for the first innings of each team
- If teams have the same points, Net Run Rate (NRR) decides who ranks higher
- The top team after all the matches goes straight to the final
- Slow over rates or rule breaches can also lead to point deductions.
This system makes sure teams try hard throughout the match, even if they can’t win. Every run and wicket matters for bonus points.
Sheffield Shield Fixtures and Results
The tournament will continue until March 2026. Matches will be played at famous cricket grounds like Sydney Cricket Ground, Melbourne Cricket Ground, The Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Bellerive Oval, and WACA Ground.
Here are the upcoming matches of the Sheffield Shield 2025-26 season:
| Date | Match | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 4-7, 2025 | Tasmania vs Queensland | The Gabba, Brisbane | Match drawn |
| Oct 4-7, 2025 | South Australia vs Victoria | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | Victoria won by 4 wickets |
| Oct 4-7, 2025 | New South Wales vs Western Australia | WACA Ground, Perth | NSW won by 74 runs |
| Oct 15-18, 2025 | Victoria vs New South Wales | Junction Oval, Melbourne | TBA |
| Oct 15-18, 2025 | Tasmania vs Western Australia | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | TBA |
| Oct 15-18, 2025 | South Australia vs Queensland | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | TBA |
| Oct 28-31, 2025 | Victoria vs Tasmania | Junction Oval, Melbourne | TBA |
| Oct 28-31, 2025 | Queensland vs New South Wales | The Gabba, Brisbane | TBA |
| Oct 28-31, 2025 | Western Australia vs South Australia | WACA Ground, Perth | TBA |
| Nov 10-13, 2025 | New South Wales vs Victoria | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | TBA |
| Nov 10-13, 2025 | Tasmania vs South Australia | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | TBA |
| Nov 11-14, 2025 | Western Australia vs Queensland | WACA Ground, Perth | TBA |
| Nov 22-25, 2025 | New South Wales vs Tasmania | Cricket Central, Sydney | TBA |
| Nov 22-25, 2025 | Queensland vs Victoria | The Gabba, Brisbane | TBA |
| Nov 22-25, 2025 | South Australia vs Western Australia | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | TBA |
| Dec 04-07, 2025 | Victoria vs Western Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | TBA |
| Dec 05-08, 2025 | New South Wales vs Queensland | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | TBA |
| Dec 05-08, 2025 | South Australia vs Tasmania | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | TBA |
| Feb 05-08, 2026 | New South Wales vs South Australia | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | TBA |
| Feb 05-08, 2026 | Victoria vs Queensland | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | TBA |
| Feb 05-08, 2026 | Western Australia vs Tasmania | WACA Ground, Perth | TBA |
| Feb 16-19, 2026 | Queensland vs South Australia | The Gabba, Brisbane | TBA |
| Feb 16-19, 2026 | Western Australia vs Victoria | WACA Ground, Perth | TBA |
| Feb 16-19, 2026 | Tasmania vs New South Wales | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | TBA |
| Mar 05-08, 2026 | Tasmania vs Victoria | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | TBA |
| Mar 05-08, 2026 | Queensland vs Western Australia | TBC | TBA |
| Mar 05-08, 2026 | South Australia vs New South Wales | Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide | TBA |
| Mar 14-17, 2026 | New South Wales vs Western Australia | Cricket Central, Sydney | TBA |
| Mar 14-17, 2026 | Victoria vs South Australia | Junction Oval, Melbourne | TBA |
| Mar 14-17, 2026 | Tasmania vs Queensland | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | TBA |
| Mar 26-29, 2026 | Final | TBC | TBA |
The match between Victoria and New South Wales on October 15 will be very important. New South Wales wants to keep winning, while Victoria wants to maintain their first position of the season.
The final match will happen on March 26-29, 2026, where the top team will play to become the Sheffield Shield champions.
Suggested Reads:
Conclusion: Victoria Leads Early, But A Long Season Ahead!
It’s too soon to draw big conclusions, but Victoria’s opening win puts them slightly ahead of the pack.
New South Wales looks sharp too, and the bonus points are already starting to matter, especially for sides like Queensland and Tasmania that drew their first matches.
There are more matches to play before the final, so any team can win. The bonus points system means every innings is important for all teams.
Keep checking back for updates as more matches finish and the table changes.
FAQs
Teams get 6 points for wins, 3 for ties, 2 for draws, and 0 for losses. Bonus points come from first innings batting (0.01 per run over 200) and bowling (based on wickets taken).
After each round. The next batch of matches starts October 15, so expect new standings right after that.
Victoria leads with 8.03 points after beating South Australia. Their positive run rate also helps their position.
Yes, over the season, they often make the difference between reaching the final and missing out.
They can. Strong batting and bowling in drawn games can keep teams in the top half of the table.
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