Remaining Shield, Marsh Cup fixtures locked in

This summer's Marsh Sheffield Shield finalists will be determined by an average number of points per game after Cricket Australia today confirmed the remaining fixtures for the men's domestic season.

COVID-19 restrictions and border closures pre- and post- the mid-season KFC BBL break have caused havoc for scheduling and will result in states playing an uneven number of Shield matches before the final, beginning on March 31.

FULL MARSH SHEFFIELD SHIELD SCHEDULE

FULL MARSH ONE-DAY CUP SCHEDULE

Under the revised fixture released this afternoon, Queensland are scheduled to play the most Shield matches with nine, with clashes against NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania to come once the season resumes on Wednesday, February 9.

Tasmania and SA will finish the season having played eight matches, while NSW and Victoria – who played each other three times prior to BBL|11 – also have four games remaining to take their tally to seven games for the season.

Western Australia's hard border means their cricket team will have an extended break following the Perth Scorchers' record fourth Big Bash title as players and staff spend some time at home with their families.

WA will also finish the season having played seven matches and their next Shield game is not scheduled to start until March 15, when they take on NSW at Bankstown Oval.

They are scheduled to host Victoria at the WACA Ground from March 23-26, although that match will be dependent on Premier Mark McGowan reopening the state's border before then, which was delayed indefinitely last month.

Owing to the uneven fixture, CA confirmed final table positions for the Sheffield Shield will now be decided by the average number of points each team accrues from their scheduled matches, similar to last year's ICC World Test Championship.

For example, if team A finished the season with 36 points from nine matches, while team B accrued 35 points in seven matches, team B would finish higher with an average of five points per match compared to team A's four.

It means Victoria (5.887 average points) is currently on top of the Shield table, followed by WA (4.448), Queensland (4.154), Tasmania (4.016), SA (1.824) and NSW (1.31).

That system will not be needed for the Marsh One-Day Cup table with each state to finish the competition on six matches.

There will be eight matches to round out the white-ball season, with NSW and Victoria playing four each, while Western Australia will only feature in one. NSW and Tasmania will play back-to-back games at North Sydney Oval on February 23 and 25 following a Shield match at the SCG on February 18-21.

The Marsh Cup final will be played at the CitiPower Centre in Melbourne on March 11.

With the ongoing threat of players contracting COVID-19 throughout the rest of the season, there are recommended protocols for teams to follow, but they aren't as restrictive as the bubbles during the second half of the BBL.

The measures, such as dining and meeting outdoors and keeping groups to as few people as possible, are designed to prevent an entire squad going down with the virus should one player test positive.

CA also confirmed the remainder of the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) season would be played from February 22-March 25, with details to be announced early next week.

Australian players selected on the historic tour of Pakistan beginning with the first Test on March 3, and who aren't involved in the Dettol T20I series against Sri Lanka this month, will be available for selection in domestic matches until February 17.

That includes the Queensland-NSW and SA-Victoria Shield matches from February 9-12 and their respective Marsh Cup matches on February 14 and 15.

Queensland coach Wade Seccombe said Test stars Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja plus Mitch Swepson and Michael Neser are already locked in to play against NSW at the Gabba next week.

"It's almost certain we're going to lose Marnus, Uzzie and Swepo to that tour of Pakistan and I hope they take Michael Neser … but there's also a big part of me that wants him bowling for us," he said on SEN yesterday.

"We'll get them for this game but that will be it for the season."

Australian opener David Warner, who was rested from the five-match T20 series against Sri Lanka, and spinner Nathan Lyon won't be available for those NSW matches as they spend time with their families before departing for Pakistan.

Peter Roach, Cricket Australia's Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling, said they believed the fixture was in the best interests of players, match officials, support staff and fans.

"Following a fairly challenging BBL period, the medical advice we received recommended a short break post-BBL, along with a break somewhere within the remaining fixtures to allow participants a breather from the recommended playing protocols," he said.

"Whilst Cricket Australia want to maximise the number of matches played in pivotal domestic competitions, the health and wellbeing of participants is a priority.

"Our domestic competitions are amongst the strongest in the world, and we want teams to have the opportunity to field their best squads, and players and staff to have the opportunity to be at their best when given the opportunity.

"For these reasons, the decision was made and supported unanimously by stakeholders to complete the domestic competitions under the revised playing conditions and schedule."

Foxtel will broadcast a further three home and away Marsh Cup matches in addition to the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup finals.

All other Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup matches will be streamed live on Kayo and cricket.com.au.

Marsh Sheffield Shield fixture

Feb 9-12: South Australia v Victoria, Adelaide Oval

Feb 9-12: Queensland v New South Wales, Gabba

Feb 18-21: Victoria v Queensland, CitiPower Centre

Feb 18-21: New South Wales v Tasmania, SCG

Mar 2-5: Queensland v South Australia, Gabba

Mar 15-18: New South Wales v Western Australia, Bankstown Oval

Mar 15-18: Victoria v Tasmania, CitiPower Centre

Mar 23-26: Western Australia v Victoria, WACA Ground

Mar 23-26: South Australia v New South Wales, Karen Rolton Oval

Mar 23-26: Tasmania v Queensland, Blundstone Arena

Mar 31-Apr 4: Final, TBC*

Marsh One-Day Cup fixture

Feb 14: Queensland v New South Wales, Gabba (D/N)*

Feb 15: South Australia v Victoria, Adelaide Oval

Feb 23: Victoria v Queensland, CitiPower Centre

Feb 23: New South Wales v Tasmania, North Sydney Oval*

Feb 25: New South Wales v Tasmania, North Sydney Oval (D/N)*

Mar 6: Tasmania v Victoria, Blundstone Arena

Mar 8: Victoria v Western Australia, CitiPower Centre

Mar 8: New South Wales v South Australia, TBC

Mar 11: Final, CitiPower Centre*

*Denotes match broadcast on Foxtel