South Australia takes lead in state Spirit of Cricket award

The West End Redbacks have taken the lead from the Victorian Bushrangers in the state Spirit of Cricket award standings, Cricket Australia announced today.

The Redbacks, who have played eight matches this season, lead the table with 29 points, two points clear of the SpeedBlitz Blues on 27 points from nine matches.

The Bushrangers sit close behind the leaders in third place with 26 points from eight matches, with the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers rounding out the top four with 23 points from eight games.

The Queensland Bulls, who have played only seven matches, follow with 18 points while the Retravision Warriors have made up ground, tallying 13 points from eight matches.

The officiating umpires issue points on a 3,2,1,0,-1 basis at the end of each game, with teams rewarded for displaying the true spirit, traditions, and values of cricket.

If a player is reported and found guilty under Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct during a match, their team is automatically given a score of minus one point.

Voting in ING Cup games is weighted at a ratio of 1:1, while Pura Cup voting adopts a 3:1 weighting. The state Spirit of Cricket points table, including all Pura Cup and ING Cup fixtures up until Monday 15 December is:

Meanwhile, the Spirit of Cricket awards points table in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) shows a reversal of placings among the states.

The Western Fury lead the WNCL Spirit of Cricket award with 12 points from six matches, with Queensland Fire and Victoria Spirit sharing second position with nine points from four games.

The New South Wales Breakers follow on eight points from their four matches, while the Southern Scorpions, who have played only two games this season, have four points on the board.

The WNCL Spirit of Cricket points table, including all fixtures up until Monday 15 December is:

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said it was pleasing to see both men's and women's state teams leading by example.

"Strengthening and protecting the spirit of cricket is one of Cricket Australia's four strategic priorities and we are committed to driving this important part of the game," said Mr Sutherland.

"The Spirit of Cricket awards are one of several initiatives we have put in place to help recognise, reward and promote the value of fair play in cricket.

"Cricket's appeal to fans and participants is closely related to the values that are firmly entrenched in the game and it's pleasing to see the state teams adopting a concerted approach to playing and supporting these values."

The state Spirit of Cricket awards are part of a broader Cricket Australia Spirit of Cricket project designed to ensure Australian cricketers at all levels understand their obligations to fair play.

The project incorporates a national Spirit of Cricket award for grade and local club sides around Australia.

At underage level, Tasmania's under-19 side collected the Spirit of Cricket award at the recently completed Commonwealth Bank Under-19 Championship Series in Brisbane, while Tasmania and the Northern Territory shared the Spirit of Cricket award at last week's Cricket Australia Women's Cup in Sydney.

The state Spirit of Cricket award will be updated at the end of every second Pura Cup round, and announced on the following dates:

All the latest news and updates concerning the spirit of cricket is available online at www.baggygreen.com.au/spirit