Domestic fixtures: Western Australia face brutal stretch of Sheffield Shield away games in title defence
![Western Australia’s path to a fourth straight Sheffield Shield title has been mapped out.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/C-15462542/4150f02dcd1c468cb370b1da2b5abed297623fdd-16x9-x514y361w3661h2059.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
Western Australia face a baptism of fire in the early stages of their bid for a historic fourth consecutive Sheffield Shield title this summer, including a brutal stretch of travel.
The three-time reigning champions have been asked to play on the eastern seaboard five times in just over a month before the Big Bash League break in a remarkable stretch of travel that includes four-day matches in Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney as well as a rare one-day game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Cricket Australia is set to release its full domestic feature on Thursday morning.
WA will face last year’s finalists Tasmania at Blundstone Arena from November 1, then their MCG clash with Victoria on November 13, a shield clash two days later at Junction Oval, South Australia at the Adelaide Oval from November 23 and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground from December 6.
They will not play a game in Perth in any format between October 25 and February 8. WA are expected to weigh up staying on the road between some of those matches.
It does men that Adam Voges’ side will play three of their final four shield matches at home to round out the season while players are fatigued after the BBL season.
“Playing four games in succession on the road will be a great challenge and one that we are looking forward to,” he said.
![WA are embracing the challenge of their tough road schedule.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/C-15462542/845216ef45f160379f3d271479062012ea76bd5c.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
“We want to be adaptable to all conditions and the boys are working hard to be well prepared for this.”
Their only away trip after the Twenty20 break is to play Queensland at the Gabba from March 6, between clashes with South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria at the WACA Ground.
WA’s opening four-day match of the season begins on October 7, a clash against Queensland at the WACA Ground just under a month before the international summer begins, opening the door for it to potentially feature Test stars Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, Cam Green and Mitch Marsh, as well as aspirants for David Warner’s vacant opening role Cam Bancroft and Matt Renshaw.
Their defence of the one-day title begins with a carnival-style opening at Sydney’s Cricket Central with a game against NSW on September 22 — a rematch of last season’s final — and South Australia two days later.
The Women’s National Cricket League will retain its double-header format, with Becky Grundy’s side to open their season with two matches in three days against two-time reigning champions Tasmania.
They will make trips to Allan Border Field to face Queensland, the Junction Oval to face Victoria and Canberra’s Philip Oval to face ACT.
The fixtures for Cricket Australia’s new Spring T20 Challenge have also been released after the governing body backflipped on a plan to introduced a State-based T20 competition.
Perth Scorchers will play four matches in just seven days, set to face Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval, then Sydney Thunder at North Sydney Oval.
The top four teams move through to the semifinals.
WA’S SHEFFIELD SHIELD FIXTURES
Mon Oct 7 v Queensland, WACA Ground
Sun Oct 20 v Tasmania, WACA Ground
Fri Nov 1 v Tasmania, Blundstone Arena
Fri Nov 15 v Victoria, CitiPower Centre
Sat Nov 23 v South Australia, Adelaide Oval
Fri Dec 6 v New South Wales, Sydney Cricket Ground
Sat Feb 8 v South Australia, WACA Ground
Tue Feb 18 v Queensland, Gabba
Thu Mar 9 v New South Wales, WACA Ground
Sat Mar 15 v Victoria, WACA Ground
Sheffield Shield final, Wed Mar 26
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