Match Information
Match: 4th Match, Sheffield Shield 2025/26
Teams: Victoria vs New South Wales
Venue: Junction Oval, Melbourne
Date: October 15-18, 2025
Start Time: 4:30 AM (Wednesday)
Toss: Not done yet
Umpires: Stephen Dionysius, Troy Penman
Match Referee: Bob Parry
Format: 4-day match
Expected Teams
Victoria (Likely XI)
Source: SportsCafe preview, October 14, 2025
- Marcus Harris – Opening batter
- Harry Dixon – Allrounder
- Peter Handscomb – Batter
- Campbell Kellaway – Middle order batter
- Sam Harper (wk) – Wicketkeeper
- Oliver Peake – Batting allrounder
- Will Sutherland (c) – Captain and allrounder
- Fergus O’Neill – Bowler
- Todd Murphy – Spinner
- Scott Boland – Fast bowler
- David Moody – Bowler
Note: Sutherland, Dixon, and Murphy are back from Australia A duty. Murphy takes Doug Warren’s place even though Warren played well in the first match.
New South Wales (Likely XI)
Source: SportsCafe preview, October 14, 2025
- Blake Nikitaras – Top order batter
- Sam Konstas – Opening batter
- Kurtis Patterson – Middle order batter
- Oliver Davies – Top order batter
- Matthew Gilkes (wk) – Wicketkeeper
- Jack Edwards (c) – Captain and allrounder
- Will Salzmann – Bowling allrounder
- Sean Abbott – Bowling allrounder
- Charlie Stobo – Bowling allrounder
- Nathan Lyon – Spinner
- Ryan Hadley – Fast bowler
Note: Konstas, Lyon, and Abbott are confirmed to play. Edwards is back from Australia A duty and will be captain.
Players to Watch
| Player | Role | Why Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Konstas (NSW) | Opening Batter | He opens for Australia but only scored 50 runs in his last six innings. He needs to score runs to keep his Test spot before the Ashes. |
| Scott Boland (VIC) | Fast Bowler | Test star who might replace Pat Cummins in early Ashes matches. He has gotten Konstas out four times before. |
| Nathan Lyon (NSW) | Spinner | Australia’s main spinner getting ready for the Ashes. He captained NSW to a win in their first match. |
| Sean Abbott (NSW) | Bowling Allrounder | Trying to get picked for the Test team. This is his last chance to impress before Ashes selection. |
| Oliver Peake (VIC) | Batting Allrounder | Scored 70 not out in a tough chase against South Australia. Stayed calm when his team needed him. |
| Fergus O’Neill (VIC) | Fast Bowler | Won Player of the Year last season. One of Victoria’s best bowlers with Boland. |
| Todd Murphy (VIC) | Spinner | Already played for Australia. Might be Lyon’s backup for the Ashes. Will face Lyon in this match. |
What’s Happening in This Match
This is a big game for both teams. Many players are trying to get picked for Australia’s Ashes team. The Ashes starts on November 21 in Perth, so this is one of their last chances to show they deserve a spot.
Victoria won their first match this season in an exciting finish. They chased down 231 runs on the fourth day, with Oliver Peake scoring 70 not out. Their captain Will Sutherland and two other players are back from playing for Australia A, making the team stronger.
New South Wales also won their opening game by 74 runs. They beat Western Australia with Nathan Lyon as captain. Now the team has many stars including Konstas, Abbott, and Lyon all wanting to play well before the Ashes squad is announced.
The most interesting battle will be between Scott Boland and Sam Konstas. Boland has dismissed Konstas four times in first-class cricket. Boland wants to show he can replace Pat Cummins in the Test team. Konstas needs runs badly because he only made 50 runs in his last six innings for Australia in the Caribbean.
About the Venue
Junction Oval in Melbourne is usually good for batting. Batters can score lots of runs if they play carefully against the new ball. But lately, the ground has made greener pitches to help bowlers and try to finish matches in four days.
Captains who win the toss now choose to bowl first. This has happened in the last seven matches at this ground since February 2023.
The weather looks perfect for cricket. It will be sunny with temperatures around 18-22 degrees Celsius. No rain is expected.
Recent Form
Victoria: Win, Win, Loss, Loss, Loss
Victoria finished third last season. They won four games out of ten but just missed making the final.
New South Wales: Win, Loss, Draw, Win, Loss
NSW finished fourth last season. They often finish lower because their Test players miss games, but when everyone plays, they are very strong.
Head-to-Head Record
Victoria and New South Wales are the two most successful teams in Sheffield Shield history. Victoria has won 84 matches against NSW’s 81 wins in first-class cricket.
Victoria has been much better recently, winning 13 of the last 15 games between these teams. At home in Melbourne, Victoria has won seven and NSW only one in the past ten years.
But NSW won the last time they played, beating Victoria by 76 runs in Sydney.
What to Expect
This should be a great four-day contest between two strong teams. Both teams have quality players and want to win badly. With Test spots available, everyone will try their best from the start.
The bowling battle will be exciting. Victoria has Boland, O’Neill, and Murphy. NSW has Lyon, Abbott, and Stobo. All are quality bowlers.
Junction Oval usually helps batters, so we might see lots of runs unless the pitch helps bowlers early on. This match could decide who makes Australia’s Ashes squad, so cricket fans should definitely watch.