NSW and Victoria Enter Champions League

New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria are the two domestic teams from Australia which will feature in the Champions league scheduled to be held this year. The last year's league was canceled after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Victoria also qualified for the last year's proposed event. However Western Australia who made it to the finals last time around failed to qualify this year. In the finals of T/20 big bash New South Wales emerged victorious after defeating Victoria by 5 wickets. They scrambled home off the last ball of the last over.

The major highlight of the finals was the appearance of New Zealand wicket keeper Brendon McCullum in the New South Wales colors. Although he made only 10 runs in the finals, he would be available to play for NSW in the Champions league if his IPL team Kolkata Night Riders fail to qualify for the event. The signing of Mc Cullum by NSW stirred up a controversy in Australian cricketing circles with Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds openly questioning his inclusion. It should be noted that runners up Victoria didnt have the services of their 3 senior players for the finals. Cameron White and David Hussey are representing Australia in the ongoing series against South Africa where as Brad Hodge was ruled out due to an hamstring injury. New South Wales were without the new "boy wonder" David Warner and Nathan Bracken, with both of them representing Australia.