Sheffield Shield, Adam Gilchrist, Brendon Julian and Jason Gillespie on the 1996 final, South Australia vs Western Australia, video

Culminating in a dramatic final day in front of a packed Adelaide Oval pulsating with nervous energy, the 1996 Sheffield Shield final remains one of the competition’s most unforgettable contests of the modern era.

Following five days of frustration, despair and controversy, the season decider went down to the last delivery, prompting scenes of unbridled jubilation and heartbreak at the iconic venue.

And for those who lived it, the emotions and memories still burn strongly in their minds.

“We always talk about that game,” former West Australian bowler Brendon Julian told Fox Cricket.

“For a game to go down to the last over of the last day on day five, with us still needing one wicket, there aren’t too many games like that.”

With their backs against the wall, South Australia forced a tense draw against a talented WA outfit to secure what remains the state’s only Sheffield Shield title of the last four decades.

Tens of thousands of Adelaide locals flocked to the iconic venue on the fifth day and witnessed tailenders Peter McIntyre and Shane George successfully block out the final ten overs, denying the Warriors what seemed a certain victory.

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Australian icon Adam Gilchrist, who starred for WA in the final, described it as “one of the top three or four games of cricket” he’d been a part of, adding the match helped launch his legendary career.

“It was on par with any Test match that I played in,” Gilchrist told Fox Cricket.

“Dramatic, intensely fought … it was a magical game of cricket.”

And although South Australia won the title, Julian never shies away from reminding former Redbacks opponents James Brayshaw and Greg Blewett whenever they cross paths in the commentary box: “You didn’t win it. It was a draw, after all.”

Those in attendance hoped the triumph would mark the beginning of an era of dominance for the Redbacks, but more than 29 years later, South Australia has yet to earn another Sheffield Shield title. This week, the state has an opportunity to win back the coveted prize when they face the Queensland Bulls at Karen Rolton Oval.

But regardless of the outcome, South Australian supporters will always have the spectacular drama of 1996.

REDBACKS EYE REDEMPTION AFTER GABBA DRUBBING

South Australia, coached by Jeff Hammond and composed of a core unit that had played together for several years, earned hosting rights for the 1995/96 Sheffield Shield final after topping the standings with five wins and two draws. Star batter Darren Lehmann, who had yet to make his international debut, clobbered 1099 runs at 54.95 including four hundreds across the campaign, while seamer Jason Gillespie was the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 46 scalps at 21.78.

On the back of his Shield heroics, Gillespie earned an unexpected call-up as a replacement player for Australia’s 1996 World Cup campaign in the subcontinent.

Having lost the previous season’s Sheffield Shield final to Queensland – an innings-and-101-run drubbing at the Gabba – the South Australians were desperate to go one better and end a 14-year title drought.

Redemption was on their minds.

The Redbacks only needed a draw in the final to lift the trophy, but they were up against a world-class West Australian side that featured the likes of Gilchrist, Julian, Justin Langer, Michael Hussey, Brad Hogg, Damien Martyn, Jo Angel and captain Tom Moody.

Earlier that season during the group stage, South Australia came agonisingly close to stealing a win from the Warriors at the WACA, only to be denied by tailender Bruce Reid who blocked out 16 deliveries late on the final day. History would repeat itself a couple of months later, albeit with the shoe on the other foot.

‘OH MY GOD’: GILLY’S BRUTAL ONSLAUGHT

Before the final, the West Australians plastered some butcher’s paper on the wall of the dressing room, with numbers 1 to 20 scribbled on the side. The visitors planned to cross off a number for each wicket they took across the match.

“We knew we had to get 20 wickets to win the game, simple as that,” Gilchrist explained.

“They were never going to declare.”

West Australian skipper Moody won the toss and chose to bat first on what Julian described as “the flattest pitch you’re ever going to get”. Rob Baker and Moody set the foundation in the first innings with a 129-run partnership, with the Warriors sitting at 6-255 at stumps on day one.

But the following morning, Gilchrist launched into a trademark assault with the willow, smacking an unbeaten 189 from 187 balls that featured 15 boundaries and five sixes. The wicketkeeper was still more than three years away from a Test debut, but his Adelaide Oval onslaught offered an early glimpse at what he’d go on to achieve in Australian colours.

“He just came out and smoked them,” Julian recalled.

“I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my god, this guy is serious. He is the real deal.’

“You just went, ‘Ok guy, this guy’s got next level written all over him.’”

Gillespie, who took three wickets in Western Australia’s first innings, was at a loss for how to stem the flow of runs. When he got going, Gilchrist was unstoppable.

“Unless you hit a small tissue-sizes spot on the wicket, you were gonna get smacked everywhere,” Gillespie told Fox Cricket.

“The margin for error was so little because he was just judging length so quickly … you just felt that if you dragged it down, even a fraction, he could pull you through mid-wicket, and if you got fractionally overpitched, he’d drive you through the offside.”

Gilchrist described the performance as “the most important and pivotal” of his career up to that point because, according to him, it put him on national selectors’ radar for the first time.

“It just felt like that put me on the map as a genuine candidate for whenever it was that Ian Healy may finish up,” he explained.

“It was a game that set me off on a different trajectory.”

However, Gilchrist confessed he may have “carried on a bit like a pork chop” while celebrating his second Sheffield Shield hundred, which prompted some words of advice from Redbacks captain Jamie Siddons.

“When I got the hundred, I maybe over-celebrated a little bit, from just the enormity of getting a hundred in the Shield final,” he recalled.

“(Siddons) gave me some advisory words from behind the stumps, just (saying) perhaps it wasn’t the greatest achievement that he’d ever seen.”

‘NERVOUS WATCH’: HOSTS COMMENCE DAUNTING CHASE

Western Australia declared at 9-520, with Hogg notching a fifty. In response, South Australia was bowled out for 347, with opener Paul Nobles posting a patient century and Julian taking a five-wicket haul.

Gillespie’s 4-33 from nine overs, along with some exceptional fielding from the South Australians, restricted WA to 8-169 declared in the second innings, setting the hosts a daunting 343-run target for victory. And when the Redbacks stumbled to 4-67 early on day five, with Lehmann back in the sheds for a second-ball duck, the West Australians felt as though they had one hand on the trophy.

However, opener Greg Blewett (72 off 275 balls) and batter James Brayshaw (66 off 129 balls) shut up shop, forming a 102-run partnership for the fifth wicket to wind down the clock and chew into the deficit.

“Those two guys were quality batsmen, they were the backbone of South Australia,” Julian said.

“As soon as you got through those two guys, you felt you were home and hosed. They were the big wickets.”

With the lunch break approaching, the South Australians started to become paranoid. Lehmann and McIntyre went for a walk late in the morning session, but weren’t allowed back into the changerooms upon their return because no wickets had fallen while they were away.

“Cricketers can be a superstitious bunch,” Gillespie laughed.

“Everyone had to sit in the same seats … it became quite a nervous watch to be honest.”

Hogg broke the stand, with Brayshaw top-edging a wrong-un into the Adelaide skyline, while Julian took full advantage of the second new ball by trapping Blewett on the pads with a hooping inswinger. On the first delivery after the tea break, fellow seamer Angel bowled Redbacks gloveman Tim Nielsen with a grubber that crept under the bat, knocking the off stump out of the ground.

The West Australians could smell blood.

“It was just a matter of time when we got Blewett out,” Julian said.

“I thought, ‘They’re going to fold here.’”

‘LITERALLY COULDN’T RUN’: WOUNDED SKIPPER DROPS ANCHOR

With three wickets remaining, Siddons and spinner Tim May dropped anchor and looked to eke out an unlikely draw. The South Australian captain was battling a torn labrum hip injury, so running between the wickets wasn’t an option for the duo.

They collectively faced 186 deliveries, 185 of which were dot balls.

“(Siddons) literally couldn’t run,” Gillespie recalled.

“He just stood at one end and blocked for hours.”

The tension became overwhelming for Blewett, who took his car out for a 30-minute drive to clear his mind and settle his nerves.

“It got too much for him,” Gillespie continued.

“He just couldn’t handle to watch, it was just too nerve-racking. Guys were just trying to find ways to hold off the nerves.”

The Adelaide Oval crowd started to build as the afternoon wore on, with fans wandering across from the CBD after work as hordes of school children flooded the hill. By the end of the day, it was estimated that 15,000 spectators were in attendance.

“The crowd built up and built up as the day went on, and by the end of it the hill was packed,” recalled Gilchrist.

“It was just building, building, building.”

May was bowled by Julian for a 52-ball, 64-minute duck while Siddons scored 4 from 134 deliveries before falling victim to Hogg, caught at silly mid-off by Langer. The last two batters, tailenders McIntyre and George, were tasked with surviving the final 40 minutes to force an unlikely stalemate.

Asked whether he had faith in his teammates getting the job done following the ninth wicket, Gillespie offered a diplomatic answer.

“It’s fair to say we were pretty nervous,” he said.

‘NOT MEANT TO BE’: CONTROVERSIAL FINAL 40 MINUTES

Western Australia had ten overs to unearth the decisive wicket, with Hogg and Julian toiling from either end. According to Gillespie, George was “too scared” to face Julian, so McIntrye agreed to face the left-armed quick while George parked himself at the other end.

“(Julian) and Brad Hogg in particular on that last day were just phenomenal,” Gilchrist said.

“They dug so deep and we’re just so determined to try and get the job done. They literally bowled their hearts out and couldn’t have done any more.”

With about half an hour remaining, McIntyre lunged forward at a delivery from Hogg that thumped into his pad and kissed his glove before popping up towards Baker at silly mid-on. Hogg charged towards his teammates with arms raised, only to realise that umpire Darrell Hair was unmoved at the non-striker’s end.

Jeers echoed around the venue as the West Australians stood around the pitch in disbelief.

“It came off the glove, straight to short leg, and (Hair) missed it,” Julian said.

“I just thought, ‘Oh mate… now I’m going to have to keep bowling.’”

Gilchrist continued: “We thought we had the win.

“I believe replays would show that it comes straight off the glove and we had our man. But that’s the nature of the beast, isn’t it?

“We just kicked on with it.”

A few overs later, Julian produced the perfect outswinging yorker that left McIntyre in an absolute tangle at the crease. Believing he had rattled the timber, the West Australian prematurely leapt in the air in celebration before realising the ball had hit the footmarks and narrowly missed off stump.

The baffled Julian forced a smile.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he recalled.

“I remember just going, ‘How has that missed?’

“I remember saying to Jo (Angel) at mid-off, ‘You know what, it’s just not meant to be.’”

‘HOW DID WE NOT WIN THAT?’: THE FINAL SIX BALLS

With four overs to go, the crowd started counting down the number of balls remaining, while every forward defence and leave was accompanied by rapturous applause from the local fans.

Adelaide icon Barry ‘Nugget’ Rees was clapping so much that the agitated South Australian players gave their No. 1 supporter a pair of gloves to muffle the noise.

In the penultimate over, Hogg had an LBW decision against George turned down, with replays confirming the ball pitched comfortably outside leg stump. His final delivery was a wayward full toss down the leg side, with the wrist spinner cursing at himself as he retrieved his cap.

“No matter what we did, we just couldn’t get them out, which was crazy,” Julian said.

“We just couldn’t get it done.”

It all came down to the final over, with Julian steaming in towards McIntyre. The first delivery beat the outside edge, prompting yelps from the Warriors. Five to go.

The next ball was defended towards cover, with a frustrated Hogg under-arming the Kookaburra into McIntyre’s chest. Four to go.

Another tentative prod into the off side. Three to go. Julian switched to over the wicket and produced a full delivery that was pushed towards mid-on. Two left.

Next, a well-directed yorker was squeezed towards gully. Ahead of the final delivery, the crowd rose to its feet, with thousands of fans lingering near the fence.

And when McIntyre successfully blocked the last ball, thousands of spectators swarmed the outfield.

McIntyre leapt into the air and clipped his heels before embracing George, with the duo sprinting towards the dugout to celebrate with their teammates, who were going berserk in the dugout.

“It literally felt like ten seconds from McIntyre blocking it to him up in the change rooms celebrating with us,” Gillespie said.

“We later saw the footage of McIntyre running off the ground, clicking his heels in the aftermath. We had a good giggle.”

McIntyre had survived 45 balls, while George scored the most valuable 1 not out of his professional career, soaking up 30 deliveries of his own.

Back on the field, the dejected West Australians were left despondent.

“I was just shaking my head thinking, ‘I can’t believe it,’” Julian said.

“I walked off thinking, ‘How did we not win that?’”

Gilchrist continued: “We were exhausted, physically and mentally.

“It was frightfully disappointing that we couldn’t get the job done, but immediately we knew we were involved in something unique and something truly special.”

‘SPECIAL MEMORIES’ IN POST-GAME CATCH-UP

Once the South Australians had finished their private celebrations, the players marched over towards the away changerooms and joined the Warriors for a drink. The two teams ended up chatting and reminiscing late into the evening, only leaving the venue when they ran out of beer.

“There was a very, very strong competitive rivalry between South Australia and WA … but there was also a real close bond between those teams,” Julian said.

“That was a really fitting way to end that final to be honest.

“It was a big moment for them, and we celebrated with them as well. They had such a great side, it’s amazing that they hadn’t won more Shields.

“The win for them was the monkey off their back. They’re not easy things to win.”

Gilchrist continued: “It turned into one of the great post-game catch-ups that I had in my career.

“It was quite a wonderful feeling to be able to do that … really special memories.

“It just meant so much to those guys, to a state that had been starved of success in that competition for some time.”

The players’ wives and girlfriends also joined the post-match festivities, but some of them were a bit distracted.

“All our girls were sitting right near Brendon Julian because he’s a big, tall, good-looking rooster,” Gillespie laughed.

“They were all just ogling him. They were just staring at Brendan. I think they all had a crush on him.”

After departing Adelaide Oval, the South Australians ventured across to Planet Nightclub, a venue that Tim May had a stake in, while the Warriors returned to their hotel. Only then did the disappointment finally set in for Gilchrist.

Six months of sweat and toil for no reward was a tough pill to swallow, so sitting at the edge of his hotel bed alongside captain Moody, Gilchrist’s emotions got the better of him.

“A few drinks deep, pretty emotional, the emotion of the whole thing overswept me,” Gilchrist said.

“I just let it all out through tears and sobs, flushed out all that emotion.”

South Australia hasn’t tasted Sheffield Shield success in the 29 years since, but Nathan McSweeney’s men have a chance to break the drought when they host Queensland for this week’s final.

Gillespie, who coached the Redbacks from 2020 to 2024, desperately wants to see his beloved South Australia triumph against the Queenslanders.

“To able to win the Sheffield Shield, still to this day, is probably one of my absolute career highlights,” said Gillespie, who never played another Shield final.

“Even 30 years later, for someone like myself, I still remember it vividly, being able to sit there with your teammates and have a photo with the Sheffield Shield.

“It’s a pretty special feeling.”