Bushrangers edge past Tigers

Victoria claimed a first outright victory of the season by 55 runs as Tasmania fell a mere 16 balls short of salvaging a draw on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match in Hobart.

Chasing 318 to win, the Tigers were bowled out for 262, last summer's Shield winners suffering a third consecutive outright defeat to start their title defence.

James Pattinson, Jayde Herrick and the off spinner Glenn Maxwell nabbed three wickets each for the Bushrangers, Pattinson nipping out the last three with the second new ball as the clock ticked near to stumps.

The Tigers' final day defiance had been led by the opening batsman Steven Cazzulino, playing in place of the injured Mark Cosgrove. His front elbow was prominent in a fighting innings, but wickets fell regularly at the other end.

Ed Cowan snicked an off break to slip, Nick Kruger was lbw on the back foot, and George Bailey and Evan Gulbis were both undone by full, curving Herrick deliveries.

Allrounders James Faulkner and Luke Butterworth gave the Tigers a slim chance of victory in the final session, before the final four wickets went down swifty.

Matthew Wade, the Bushrangers' gloveman, was named man of the match for his two important innings, while the Tasmanian captain George Bailey was reprimanded for showing dissent towards the umpires' decision to decline an appeal against David Hussey on day three.