Cricket is to Australia what baseball is to the U.S.: incredibly dull, boring, and never-ending,

But boring athletes barf too.

Australian media are breathlessly reporting that a spate of food poisoning which forced some of Tasmania’s cricketers on to intravenous drips has added to the drama of a defining final round of Sheffield Shield games.

It’s cricket. There is no drama.

Four states, Western Australia, Queensland, the Tigers and Victoria can each host or make the March 16-20 final depending on the results of three matches, all starting on Thursday.

WA’s hopes were boosted on Wednesday with the news that at least six of Tasmania’s squad were ill.

Ricky Ponting, armchair food safety risk analyst and captain of the Tassie side, was not among the victims.

"So far, so good. I’ll be very careful what I eat today, though. I mightn’t eat anything tonight before the game," Ponting said on Wednesday.