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Posted: 2020-03-17 01:09:57

Posted March 17, 2020 12:09:57

New South Wales has been awarded this season's Sheffield Shield title, with Cricket Australia (CA) cancelling the final.

CA has also recommended all grade and amateur cricket should cease, bringing the 2019-20 cricket season to an abrupt end.

The decision to cancel the final round of the Sheffield Shield season was made on Sunday, but there was still a suggestion the decider could be played, starting on March 27.

"By effectively cancelling the remainder of our season, Cricket Australia is playing its part in protecting fans, players, staff, volunteers and match officials during this unprecedented global health issue," CA boss Kevin Roberts said.

"These are difficult decisions, but the right ones in the circumstances.

"As organisations around the world rally to slow the spread of the coronavirus, it's important that we also provide decisive leadership.

"We hope that by taking these actions now, in addition to those announced in recent days, we can contribute to flattening the curve of coronavirus and society returning to normal as quickly as possible."

New South Wales was awarded the title, its 47th, by ending the truncated season on top of the table, 22.23 points ahead of last year's champions, Victoria, with one round to play.

The Sheffield Shield season has been decided by a five-day final since the 1982/83 season.

The Australia first-class domestic competition has taken place every year since 1892/93, with breaks for World War I and World War II.

Australia had already cancelled its upcoming international cricket commitments due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The ODI series against New Zealand was cancelled after one game, which Australia won by 71 runs behind closed doors at the SCG on Friday, after New Zealand implemented tough travel restrictions on Saturday.

Your questions on coronavirus answered:

The subsequent three-match T20 tour of New Zealand, set to take place later this month, was also cancelled.

The final two rounds of country's domestic championship, the Plunket Shield, was also cancelled, with Wellington awarded the title after ending the season on top of the ladder.

What the experts are saying about coronavirus:

Australia's women's team cancelled its tour of South Africa where all sport was later suspended.

Elsewhere, England cancelled its upcoming two-Test tour of Sri Lanka, with the players flying home immediately.

In India, the IPL twenty20 competition has been suspended until April 15.

Topics: sport, cricket, respiratory-diseases, infectious-diseases-other, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

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