When you think of first class cricket around the world, there are a few tournaments that have been taking place for centuries, you’d think. One of the oldest FC tournaments is India’s Ranji Trophy which began in the 1930s, but then there’s also England’s County Championship which began in 1890 and Australia’s Sheffield Shield which started in the 1892-93 season.
Any tournament with such a long history will have well-decorated history books as well. On this page on Read Scoops, we’ll dive into the Sheffield Shield’s top batsmen over the years. Legends like Don Bradman, Greg Chappell, Dean Jones, and others have played Sheffield Shield in their respective careers, so get ready for an exciting run-scoring list.
Sheffield Shield most runs of all-time
The player to have scored the most runs in Sheffield Shield history is the former Australian lower order batsman, Darren Lehmann, who also went on to coach the national side after retirement. Not a single person in the Sheffield Shield top 10 most runs list is an active player, so you can expect Lehmann to enjoy this top spot for many years to come.
SEE ALSO: List of top online sports betting websites
His Sheffield Shield runs tally is as much as 13,635 runs in 147 games, at a batting average of 54+ during his time at this competition. See below for our complete Sheffield Shield top 10 run scorers list, last updated as of 9th October 2024, at the start of the Sheffield Shield 2024-25 season in Australia:
Sheffield Shield top run scorers list
| Batter | Matches (Innings) | Runs | Career span | High Score |
| Darren Lehmann | 147 (266) | 13,635 | 1987-2007 | 301* |
| Jamie Cox | 161 (295) | 10,821 | 1987-2005 | 245 |
| Jamie Siddons | 146 (259) | 10,643 | 1985-2000 | 245 |
| Michael Bevan | 118 (211) | 10,621 | 1989-2006 | 216 |
| Brad Hodge | 140 (254) | 10,474 | 1993-2009 | 286* |
| Matthew Elliott | 122 (235) | 10,263 | 1993-2008 | 203 |
| Martin Love | 139 (244) | 10,132 | 1993-2009 | 300* |
| Michael di Venuto | 140 (250) | 9,974 | 1992-2008 | 189 |
| Chris Rogers | 120 (214) | 9,917 | 1998-2015 | 279 |
| Greg Blewett | 117 (223) | 9,682 | 1991-2006 | 268 |
Six states of Australia participate in this First Class tournament, which was named after Lord Sheffield from the UK. Intercolonial matches used to take place before Lord Sheffield donated the shield in 1892-93. On this Sheffield Shield highest run scorers list, Jamie Siddons is the oldest player, retiring in 2000, while Chris Rogers is the youngest, retiring in 2015.
Who scored the most runs in Sheffield Shield history?
There’s daylight between Lehmann and the others on the Sheffield Shield most runs list. Seven players crossed the 10,000-run mark in this competition and you’ll feel for Michael di Venuto, who ended his career with 9,974 runs, just 26 short of a remarkable milestone. Lehmann also holds the record for most Sheffield Shield centuries, scoring 45 hundreds during his time here. In terms of fifties, di Venuto is the leader with 67 fifties to his name.
Sachin and Darren Lehmann have astonishingly similar First Class stats:
Player: Innings || Runs || AVG || 100s || 50s
Sachin: 490 || 25396 || 57.84 || 81 || 116
Darren: 479 || 25795 || 57.83 || 82 || 111 pic.twitter.com/m8hJeS5BEv— House_of_Cricket (@Houseof_Cricket) October 3, 2024
In terms of the most matches played in Sheffield Shield, Jamie Cox leads the way with 161 games under his belt. The player with the highest batting average on this list is Michael Bevan, scoring at slightly over 60 runs per innings. One of the greats of the game, Don Bradman had 8,900+ runs in this competition and he scored at a marvellous average of 110.19!
FAQs
Q. Can Indians play in Sheffield Shield?
Ans. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doesn’t allow players to participate in overseas tournaments. Over the years, Rusi Surti remains the only Indian to participate in the Sheffield Shield, playing for Queensland.
Q. Is Sheffield Shield 4 or 5 days?
Ans. Much like the Ranji Trophy format in India, the Sheffield Shield round robin matches are all 4-day games but the Sheffield Shield final is always a 5-day match.
Q. What is the Sheffield Shield format?
Ans. Currently, the Sheffield Shield format is a double round robin for the six participating teams, each playing every other team twice. Once it’s done, the final takes place.
Dean Jones (9,622 runs) and Justin Langer (9,406) narrowly missed making the top 10 run scorers list in the Sheffield Shield and currently, the highest scoring active player on the list is Marcus Harris who has 7,428 runs in 110 games here. For similar cricketing updates from around the world, remember to always stay tuned to ReadScoops.com…
Register on Fun88 and get a 200 FREE Bet for sports betting
