Prolific Wade and debutant Wakim grind down South Australia

Matthew Wade made yet another half-century to help put Tasmania in complete control of the clash with South Australia at Adelaide Oval.

Wade, batting at No.4 for the first time this season, posted 77 and was part of a 134-run partnership with debutant Charlie Wakim that ground the Redbacks down on a slow scoring day.

Wakim played an excellent hand to remain unbeaten on 79 at stumps. Wade had looked set for another century when he was caught down the leg side, playing a routine leg glance off Nick Winter, with Harry Nielsen taking a stunning one-handed catch to deny Wade his second Shield century of the summer.

But it was his sixth half-century of the Shield this season and his 12th fifty across all formats to go with a Shield century and a 50-over JLT Cup hundred for Tasmania. He has scored 648 Shield runs at 64.80 in 13 innings.

Earlier, Tasmania's openers laid a solid platform but failed to capitalize. Jordan Silk and Alex Doolan crawled to 58 without loss in 40 overs before Silk chipped Chadd Sayers to midwicket. Doolan was adjudged lbw off Winter trying to work a shorter length ball square of the wicket.

Wakim, aged 27, had been selected on the back of two half-centuries in the Futures League and two grade hundreds this season. He made the most of his opportunity at No. 3 striking 10 boundaries to finish the day 21 runs shy of a debut century.