‘I just played my shots’: Forgotten Shield Final heroes

1998 Sheffield Shield Final 

Tasmania 285 (Cox 115, Julian 4-89) & 348 (Di Venuto 189, Atkinson 5-92) lost to Western Australia 571 (Moody 125, Julian 124, Campbell 104) & 3-63 (Hussey 39*) by seven wickets 

The player 

With seven Tests to his name and an extremely productive Sheffield Shield season with bat and ball behind him, 27-year-old Brendon Julian was one of the big names of the established Western Australian team. 

Although he'd won the Shield with WA in 1991-92 in just his 13th first-class match, Julian was now a senior player and was driven by falling at the last hurdle in consecutive seasons. 

The context 

Western Australia were left heartbroken two years in a row. In the 1995-96 season, South Australia held on for a draw to take the title and in 1996-97, Queensland were too strong at the WACA as Adam Dale got the ball talking. 

"You don't like to lose finals," says Julian. "You very rarely get into them, so you don't want to lose them. We'd lost two and I think a lot of guys who'd lost finals were determined to win one." 

But in the 1997-98 decider, they were facing a Tasmania side that featured some of the state's most legendary names, with the Tigers chasing their first-ever title. 

"There were some superstars in that Tasmania team," says Tasmania's leading wicket-taker from that season, Colin Miller. 

"We had (Dene) Hills, (Jamie) Cox, (Michael) Di Venuto, (Ricky) Ponting, (David) Boon – our top six or seven was as good as any in the country."

The performance 

Tasmania chose to bat first and failed to cash in on a good batting wicket. Early on day two they were bowled out for 285, an under-par score, according to Julian. He and fellow quick Jo Angel did most of the damage with the ball, taking seven wickets between them. 

"There was real optimism heading into that final," Miller remembers. "But we just didn't score the first-innings runs we would've liked." 

In seemingly no time at all, WA had built a strong first-innings lead thanks to centuries to opener Ryan Campbell (104) and captain Tom Moody (125). 

With his side in control, Julian came to the crease at No.9 and launched a brutal assault on Tasmania's attack. 

"It was a pretty good pitch," Julian says. "I just came out and played my shots. And they seemed to come off! They were bouncing me, they had two back, I was hooking, pulling. I just remember hitting the ball cleanly." 

The WACA pitch was true and as the lead grew, WA skipper Moody planned a declaration. Julian had a licence to chase quick runs and it paid off, bringing up his century off only 76 balls. 

"One thing in Perth is when you get going as a batter and it starts to go your way, it's very hard to stop," Julian says. 

"I mean, I was on the receiving end a lot, so I know that once you get the bit between your teeth and it's going your way, it's tough to stop." 

While Julian's knock was great entertainment for his teammates and the growing home crowd, Tasmania's opening bowler Mark Ridgeway certainly wasn't enjoying the action. 

"I remember 'Ridgey' throwing a tantrum up one time," Julian recalls with a laugh. "He's looking at me going 'Mate, seriously?!' Because the ball was flying over slips, and then I was hooking it, and it was falling into gaps ... he was such a great competitor and a really top bloke. 

"He was just shaking his head at me and I was just like 'Mate I know! But what do you want me to do?'" 

Julian was eventually out lbw to Miller for 124, his highest score in first-class cricket. Moody declared and Western Australia had two and half days to bowl out Tasmania. 

"They had a really good bowling attack," says Julian. "But their batting was always their focal point. Bowling Tassie out twice on a Perth pitch was always going to be tough." 

The moment 

With a 286-run deficit to make up, Tasmania had to rely on their leaders to get the runs flowing. Captain David Boon had moved to 39 and was forming a decent partnership with the in-form Di Venuto when he attempted to guide a Tom Moody short ball over the slips fielders. But the Test legend couldn't get it past the two metre allrounder standing in the cordon. 

"I remember taking that catch at second slip," says Julian. "I think Boony tried to cut it over the top and run it down to third man. I remember thinking that was it. Once you got him you felt like you were there." 

The Tigers were still trailing by 97 when Boon departed.

Tasmania fought hard, as the pitch flattened out a touch, with Di Venuto going large with a valiant 189. But he struggled to find partners to stick with him - and Western Australia were set only 63 to win. 

The aftermath 

WA reached the small total for the loss of three wickets and rather than huge celebrations, Julian recalls a more subdued response from the winners. 

"It was more relief," Julian remembers. "We'd been in a couple of finals, we'd lost away. There's no way we wanted to lose another final at home. The WACA was such a cauldron for us, we had a great record and we never expected to lose." 

Julian was named Player of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance of 124 off 105 balls, figures of 4-89 and 2-83 and that memorable catch. 

Western Australia again qualified for the final the following season and faced Queensland at the Gabba. Julian fondly remembers getting "payback" as the result flipped from two years earlier, with WA winning by an innings in enemy territory. 

"It's very rare you go to Queensland and win a Shield,” he says. “That was big for us." 

By that stage, the Warriors had made four consecutive Shield finals and having walked away empty handed from the first two, had squared the ledger with back-to-back titles. 

"That was a special side and Moods was a very good captain,” Julian remembers. 

“Every time we went out and played we had a great time and enjoyed our cricket."  

_{First published April 2021.}