Tasmania stay top after thumping New South Wales by an innings

November 20, 2023

Tasmania 493 (Hope 132, Doran 118, Webster 103) beat New South Wales 181 and 311 (Davies 62, Green 61, Neil-Smith 3-57) by and innings and one run

Tasmania have maintained their dominant start to the Sheffield Shield season, thumping New South Wales by an innings and one run to stay top of the table after five rounds.

After resuming on day three at 46 for 3, New South Wales worked hard at Bellerive Oval to take the game into the final day and make the home side bat again but fell short.

Spinner Jarrod Freeman made the key breakthrough late in the final session, trapping Ben Dwarshuis lbw for 21 and ending his 51-run stand for the eighth wicket with Chris Green.

Freeman also had Chris Tremain caught behind for a golden duck, ending the match, with the Blues dismissed for 311. The visitors could only manage 181 on day one and Tasmania took control with their first innings of 493.

Tasmania are the only unbeaten side after five rounds and this is their third win. They are on 28.77 points, with second-placed Western Australia on 25.22.

Ryan Hackney and Matthew Gilkes put on 82 for the fourth wicket early on Monday, raising the Blues hopes that they could take the game up to Tasmania. Gilkes made 56 while Hackney made 44.

Ollie Davies top-scored with 62 and Green made his highest Shield score, an unbeaten 61 that came off 159 balls and featured 10 fours, as he and Dwarshuis batted deep into the afternoon.

But the Blues lost their last three wickets in four overs and remain second-last on the ladder. Tasmania's Bradley Hope was player of the match for his unbeaten century and two wickets.

Lawrence Neil-Smith took 3 for 57 in the Blues second innings, while Freeman and Hope claimed two wickets apiece.

New South Wales will host Tasmania from November 28 in their next Shield game with Test spinner Nathan Lyon set to return after being rested from the trip to Hobart.

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