Editing Sheffield Shield (section)

{{Short description|Cricket competition in Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox cricket tournament main
| tournament name          = Sheffield Shield
| image                    = Marsh Sheffield Shield.png
| size                     = 
| caption                  =
| country                  = {{flag|Australia}}
| administrator            = [[Cricket Australia]]
| cricket format           = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| first                    = [[1892–93 Sheffield Shield season|1892–93]]
| last                     = [[2024–25 Sheffield Shield season|2024–25]]
| next                     = 2025–26
| tournament format        = Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]], then final
| participants             = 6
| champions                = {{cr-Aus|SA}} (14th title)
| qualification            =
| most successful          = {{cr-Aus|NSW}} (47 titles)
| most runs                = [[Darren Lehmann]] ([[South Australia cricket team|South Australia]] and [[Victoria cricket team|Victoria]])<br />12,971 runs
| most wickets             = [[Clarrie Grimmett]] ([[Victoria cricket team|Victoria]] and [[South Australia cricket team|South Australia]])<br />513 wickets
|website=[http://www.cricket.com.au Cricket Australia]
| TV                       = Cricket Network<br />[[Kayo Sports]]<br />[[Fox Cricket]] (selected matches)
| current                  = 
}}

The '''Sheffield Shield''' is the domestic [[first-class cricket]] competition of [[Australia]]. The tournament is contested between teams representing the six states of Australia. The Sheffield Shield is named after [[Henry Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield|Lord Sheffield]].

Prior to the Shield being established, a number of [[List of Australian intercolonial cricket matches|intercolonial matches]] were played. The Shield, donated by Lord Sheffield, was first contested during the [[1892–93 Sheffield Shield season|1892–93 season]], between [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]], [[South Australia cricket team|South Australia]] and [[Victoria cricket team|Victoria]]. [[Queensland cricket team|Queensland]] was admitted for the 1926–27 season, [[Western Australia cricket team|Western Australia]] for the 1947–48 season, and [[Tasmania cricket team|Tasmania]] for the 1977–78 season.

The competition is contested in a double-[[round-robin tournament|round-robin]] format, with each team playing every other team twice, i.e. home and away. Points are awarded based on wins, draws, ties and bonus points for runs and wickets in a team's first 100 batting and bowling overs, with the top two teams playing a final at the end of the season. Regular matches last for four days; the final lasts for five days.

The Sheffield Shield is supported by a [[Second XI (Australian cricket competition)|Second XI]] reserves competition.