Tasmania survive Travis Head ton to sneak thrilling win
The South Australia captain scored 145 off 167 to move his team within sight of a famous win, but they eventually fell 17 runs short of chasing down 331
ESPNcricinfo staff
08-Mar-2018
Tasmania 393 (Doran 74, Wade 68, Winter 5-81, Richardson 4-99) and 164 (Silk 53, Worrall 4-17) beat South Australia 227 (Ferguson 51, Rogers 4-58) and 314 (Head 145, Bird 4-64, Rainbird 3-86) by 16 runs
Tasmania vaulted to second on the Sheffield Shield table after surviving an extraordinary final-day century from Travis Head to beat South Australia in a nail-biter in Hobart.
The Redbacks began the day needing 283 to win with nine wickets in hand. They quickly slumped to 4 for 69 after Andrew Fekete and Sam Rainbird claimed Callum Ferguson, Jake Weatherald and Jake Lehmann in the space of 13 balls.
But Head started his assault on the bowling with the aid of Tom Cooper. The pair combined for a 115-run stand to which Cooper only contributed 38. Despite wickets continuing to tumble, Head kept the scoreboard motoring.
Joe Mennie (29) and Nick Winter (25) were valuable allies for Head who charged to 145, with 23 fours and a six, and moved South Australia within sight of a famous victory.
But with just 19 required, the second new ball did the trick. Rainbird coaxed an outside edge from Head that was easily held at second slip. Winter was bowled by Jackson Bird three overs later to give the Tigers victory. Bird claimed four of the last six wickets.