AFL 'blocks' Cricket Australia's bid for Adelaide Oval to host Sheffield Shield final

Cricket Australia has this morning advised that the Sheffield Shield final will not be played at Adelaide Oval, saying on its website the AFL had blocked use of the venue.

The South Australian men's cricket team earned the right to host the five-day event and had pushed for it to be played at the state's historic home of the game from Monday 24th to Friday 28th March.

However, the event falls in between two AFL games at the venue prompting stakeholders to express concerns that a drop-in wicket could compromise player safety.

Plans to reinstall a drop-in wicket at the venue following an AFL match on 22nd March were led by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas in the hope the state could host the final at Adelaide Oval.

On its website, Cricket Australia said the venue would then have been ready again for another AFL match on 30th March.

However, Cricket Australia conceded “but ultimately the AFL, which has rights to the ground from March 15 each year, had the final say amid concerns over player safety.”

In a statement, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Todd Greenberg confirmed the five-day match would instead be played at the 5,000 capacity Karen Rolton Oval in the Adelaide Park Lands from 26th March, noting “we are disappointed South Australia has been prevented from hosting the Sheffield Shield final at Adelaide Oval.

"The Sheffield Shield final is a significant event for Australia's national sport, and we believe Adelaide Oval would have been the most appropriate venue.”

Greenberg stated “I would like to thank Premier Malinauskas for his advocacy in this matter and his passionate support of cricket and the South Australia Cricket Association which made an extremely compelling case to host the final at Adelaide Oval."

Earlier Premier Malinauskas had described a request from the Adelaide Crows for financial compensation in return for the Sheffield Shield final to be played at the Adelaide Oval days out from their third-round match as "galling".

The South Australian Government contributed $535 million to the $610 million cost of the 2014 redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval.

Image: AFL action at the Adelaide Oval.