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The Pura Cup is without a doubt the strongest domestic first class competition in cricket today, underlined by the success of the Australian Test team. HISTORY In 1891-92 the Earl Of Sheffield was in Australia as the promoter of the English team led by W. G. Grace . The tour included three Tests played in Melbourne , Sydney and Adelaide . At the conclusion of the tour, Sheffield donated £150 to the New South Wales Cricket Association to fund a trophy for an annual tournament of intercolonial cricket in Australia . The three colonies of New South Wales , Victoria and South Australia were already regularly playing ad-hoc matches which were very popular. The new tournament commenced in the summer of 1892 with the three colonies playing for a silver shield named after its benefactor. SPONSORSHIP AND NAME CHANGE In 1999 , the Australian Cricket Board (now Cricket Australia ) announced a 4 year sponsorship deal which included renaming the Sheffield Shield to the '''Pura Cup'''. ''Pura'' is a brand name of a major Australian dairy manufacturer. Although the competition had been running with losses of several million dollars per annum, cricket traditionalists protested strongly, arguing against the encroaching wave of commercialism damaging the 100 year plus competition. Many cricket lovers still refer to the competition as the ''"Shield"'' either as force of habit, or as a subtle protest. The sponsorship increased total annual prize money to A$220,000, with the winners receiving A$75,000 and the runners up A$45,000. See: Cricinfo article TEAMS
POINTS SYSTEM Points are awarded at the conclusion of each match during the home and away season, with the top two teams playing in the final. The team with the most points hosts the final on their home ground. WINNERS TABLE HIGHLIGHTS
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