Match Points

Law 21 shall apply with the addition of the following:

Any query on the result of the match as defined in Laws 21.1, 21.3, 21.4, 21.5, 21.8, and 21.10 shall be resolved as soon as possible and a final decision made by the umpires.

Note: It is possible for a team to record a negative points tally on the Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield table as a result of penalties incurred under the provisions of clause 4.

Qualifying for the Final

The two teams that have the highest aggregate of points at the end of a season shall play off in a final for the Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield for that season (refer clause 46). In the event of an equality of points, the higher number of outright wins will determine the positions on the Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield table. Should there be equality in both points and outright wins, the positions shall be determined by quotient calculated thus:

(i) Divide the total number of runs scored by a team by the total number of wickets lost by it.

(ii) Divide the total number of runs scored against a team by the total number of wickets taken by it.

(iii) Divide the former (i) by the latter (ii). The team having the higher quotient shall be considered to have the better performance.

For the purpose of the calculations and for individual averages a team forfeiting or declaring its innings closed shall be deemed to have lost only the number of wickets that have actually fallen.

Contrived Result

(a) Cricket Australia shall have the power to investigate a game or the actions of the captains of the teams or any player involved in a match, if it suspects reasonably that the competing States with or without the assistance of any other person or club have colluded to contrive the result of a match.

If Cricket Australia decides to carry out an investigation, it will conduct such inquiries as it sees fit and invite submissions about the match or the conduct of either captain or any player, and will give the opportunity to be heard to interested parties, including representatives of both teams involved.

(b) If Cricket Australia finds that the teams, officials, captains or players have colluded unfairly to contrive the outcome of a match, to the detriment of any other team in the competition, it may in its absolute discretion do one or more of the following:

(i) fine a team, captain or player;
(ii) suspend a captain from playing in any match or matches;
(iii) disallow any points earned by a team in respect of the match;
(iv) amend any points earned by a team in the match; or
(v) take such other action as is deemed appropriate.

(c) For the purpose of this playing condition, "colluded unfairly to contrive the outcome of a match" means an agreement designed to contrive the outcome of a match in favour of a particular team or to achieve a result that is unfair to any of the other teams in the same competition. The operation of this playing condition is not intended to prevent competing captains from making aggressive declarations with a view to giving either side the chance of achieving an outright win.