Boland, Doggett miss out as South Australia claim Sheffield Shield on manic final morning

Jarred Cross Published March 31, 2026 at 2.30am (AWST)

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Scott Boland (pictured, image cropped) couldn't take home his fourth Sheffield Shield after South Australia, without an injured Brendan Doggett, dismantled Victoria's order to go back-to-back. (Image: Joel Carrett/AAP)

First Nations fast bowlers Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland have both missed out on a Sheffield Shield triumph with South Australia claiming the silverware on a dramatic final morning of the summer.

Doggett was unable to prove his fitness for a spot in South Australia's XI and what begame the state's first-ever back-to-back Shields after toppling Victoria's batting order for a 56-run victory on Monday morning.

Boland is also unlucky with the Vics' loss spoiling his 100th Shield match.

*Boland finished with five wickets in a losing effort at Junction Oval. (Image: Joel Carrett/AAP)*

After a rain-affected opening pair of days in Naarm, Australian keeper Alex Carey's 103 with the bat during the third innings on Sunday helped South Australia turn a 63-run deficit into something to defend, setting the home side 195 to claim the title.

Victoria had progressed to 5/102 at stumps on day four and were unable to arrest a collapse handing South Australia consecutive Shields inside of an hour on Monday morning.

In all, the hosts lost 7/37 at the last hurdle of the season, having strolled into the final with a dominant seven wins from their 10 matches across the regular season.

Boland finished with figures of 5/141 in a losing effort, including team-leading 3/78 in the third innings.

Two wickets in as many balls from Boland plunged South Australia to 7-122 and put Victoria in the box seat on Sunday before the visitors responded with a 105-run stand to resurrect their chances.

The Gulidjan seamer previously claimed the title with Victoria in the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2018-19 seasons, appearing in additional finals.

A hamstring injury suffered in February forced Doggett to celebrate from afar, having been ruled out of a chance at returning last week.

Doggett starred in South Australia's drought-breaking success 12 months ago with 11 wickets in a player of the match performance.

The injury ended the Worimi man's summer on a sour note, after making his Test debut - becoming the fifth Indigenous cricketer to earn a baggy green - in the Ashes late last year.

It's South Australia's 15th title.

*Brendan Doggett propelled South Australia to their first Sheffield Shield title in three decades with 11 wickets in the 2024/25 final. (Image: Matt Turner/AAP)*

Elsewhere, Ash Gardner has helped Australia to an unassailable two-nil ODI series lead against the West Indies, taking 3/34 in St Kitts.

Gardner missed the back-end of the T20 portion of the tour with hamstring troubles.

She returned for the first one-dayer at the start of the weekend with a third ODI remaining on April 3 before a two-month break heading into June's T20 World Cup.