With the crucial Ashes series edging ever closer, the last four days was yet another opportunity for test aspirants to press their claims for selection and to earn the much vaunted Baggy Green cap.
The round gave us a clearer picture of some spots in Australia's XI but would have also given the selectors plenty of headaches.
Barring disaster, Australia's bowling line-up is all but set with a standout performance from Mitchell Starc and solid contributions from Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon as NSW comfortably claimed victory over Western Australia.
Starc was the man of the match with figures of 7-97 from 35.1 overs. His performance was highlighted by two hat-tricks, becoming the first player in Shield history to achieve the feat in a match.
Starc's two NSW teammates and fellow members of Australia's fast bowlers cartel, Hazlewood and Cummins also made valuable contributions with match figures of 6-73 and 4-83 respectively while Lyon finished with 3-95 as the only spinner to make any real impact.
Cameron Bancroft played two superb innings as the rest of his team crumbled around him. Bancroft opened the batting and made two half-centuries, carrying his bat in WA's second innings. He and Shaun Marsh provided the only real resistance.
Steve Smith continued to build his form on the eve of his most important test series as captain with two fine knocks of 76 and 127. Vice captain David Warner was less fortunate with two scores of five.
Kurtis Patterson put his hand up for the number six slot with 36 and 66 but the same could not be said for Hilton Cartwright, whose Ashes dream is on hold for now after scoring a pair.
Emerging WA quick Jhye Richardson showed what the future held with figures of 4-47 and 2/77 against a mostly test-standard batting line-up.
At the MCG, the Redbacks almost pulled off a miraculous late win, needing two wickets from the final seven overs of the match.
The incumbent test number six, Glenn Maxwell, played two gutsy knocks with scores of 60 and 63, although his second dismissal was under somewhat controversial circumstances.
Callum Ferguson pushed his case for an unlikely selection with a fine 182* to sit top of the Shield's run scorer list.
But it was Jake Lehmann, son of national coach Darren, who impressed. Lehmann played two brilliant innings, knocking Victoria's bowlers around the park with scores of 103 and 93.
SA wicketkeeper Alex Carey gained fans and pushed his case for an unlikely Ashes berth with a solid 36 and 20 and looks to be up against Peter Nevill and even Bancroft to take the gloves against England.
The match in Hobart was certainly one for the bowlers with no team scoring more than 200 runs and only two batsmen managing to pass 50 runs.
Matthew Wade did his selection chances no favours with scores of 9 and 17 while also conceding five byes in Tasmania's loss to Queensland.
Although unlikely to be picked, Joe Burns put his name firmly in the selectors' minds with a gutsy 70 to go with his 11 from the first innings.
Current test opener Matthew Renshaw was not in the runs but spent valuable time in the middle, soaking up balls before he was dismissed with 19 runs from 109 balls. His spot is secure for now, but with dual half-centuries from Bancroft, selectors may be tempted.
Michael Neser pips Starc to player of the round honours after claiming 8-76 to go with 4-86 from Round 1. These figures will put his name firmly in the minds of the national selectors, but he may still have to wait for his Baggy Green, with the incumbents Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins all putting up equally impressive numbers. But of the available men, Neser is clearly the proverbial "next cab off the rank".
South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania are still winless after two rounds.
The next Shield round will begin on 13 November.
