Dominant Victoria plan to avoid final slip
Victoria have had no problems this season except in finals and have one game to fix the problem
Match facts
March 13-17, 2009Start time 11.00am (local time)
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Big Picture
Victoria have had no problems this season except in finals and have one game left to fix the problem. Both the FR Cup and Twenty20 deciders were lost - Queensland stole the one-day trophy by sparking a dramatic collapse - and those misses become a pattern when added to the Pura Cup defeats in 2007-08 and 2005-06.Watch out for
Brad Hodge is in form after his epic 261 at the MCG last week, but he is intent on using that as a warm-up for bigger things at the Junction Oval. Hodge is a master of the domestic scene and provides his team with immense confidence and, usually, lots of runs. His Sheffield Shield tally stands at 10,091 for Victoria over 16 years, including 696 this season.Team news
All of Victoria's bowling concerns have eased and they have named a full-strength line-up following the return of Shane Harwood (ankle), Dirk Nannes (side) and Clint McKay (side). Nannes bowled in a club game last weekend while Harwood and McKay passed fitness tests over the last week. Damien Wright also returns to the squad after resting during the demolition of Queensland and Lloyd Mash is the likely 12th man.Pitch and conditions
The Junction Oval is the home of the St Kilda club and where the Bushrangers often train. It has a capacity of 8000 and a reputation for a pitch that is full of runs. However, the surface has offered some help for bowlers in club matches and there has been wet weather around in the lead-up to the final. Thunderstorms and isolated showers are predicted over the first four days.Stats and Trivia
- In the past three finals the home team has totalled 844, 800 and 900 in one-sided victories
- Chris Rogers, the Victoria opener, is second on the season's run-list with 1048, 155 behind Michael Klinger. Martin Love is Queensland's best on 697
- Love, who scored 300 at the Junction Oval in 2003-04, is 13 from 10,000 Sheffield Shield runs
- The Bushrangers last won a domestic first-class title when they beat Queensland by 321 runs in 2003-04
- Victoria's 8 for 806 declared last weekend was the seventh-highest score in Sheffield Shield history
Quotes
"The first 15 overs is going to be very important, if we get through that I think we'll be set."Chris Rogers
Lee Carseldine crosses his fingers for some help for Queensland's bowlers
Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo