Canberra's Manuka Oval is "on the verge of hosting the Sheffield Shield final -- the historic Canberra ground" just needs Cricket New South Wales to beat Western Australia and finish top of the ladder, according to David Polkingthorne of the CANBERRA TIMES. NSW is "currently in a three-way tie at the top of the Shield ladder on 26 points with WA and South Australia." Normally, NSW would "host any final at the SCG, but the Test venue is out of action for the upcoming Major League Baseball opening series." Cricket NSW CEO Andrew Jones has "backed the facilities at Manuka as the ideal back-up venue to the SCG." Jones: "A number of venues were considered, but fundamentally it was a cricket decision and our coaching staff felt that Manuka Oval was the right choice to host the Shield Final should the situation arise." Cricket ACT Chair Ian McNamee said that the decision was "endorsement of the ACT's ability to host major events." McNamee: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Canberra and the region to host a match of this stature" (CANBERRA TIMES, 3/10).
