2016–17 Sheffield Shield season round 9 of the competition. Victoria secured a home tie in the final, with an innings victory against Queensland in round 10. However, the Melbourne Cricket Ground was unavailable for the fixture, so it took place at Traeger Park in Alice Springs. They faced South Australia in the final, for the second consecutive year. Victoria won the competition with a first-innings lead in the final, after the match finished as a draw. It was their 31st tournament win and their third consecutive title. 2016–17 Sheffield Shield season The 2016–17 Sheffield Shield season was the 115th season of the Sheffield Shield,
Relocation of sports teams in the United Kingdom rivalry with both the Whitley Warriors and the Billingham Bombers. It was a golden period for hockey in the North East with derby matches against the Warriors often resulting in crowds which exceeded the stated capacity of the rink by a considerable margin. With the rise of teams such as the Cardiff Devils and Sheffield Steelers, the Wasps started to struggle to fund a competitive team. At the same time, the rink was in need of significant investment. Around this time, John Hall, then owner of Newcastle United Football Club, laid plans to form a centre of sporting excellence in