Blues fight back after Ponting double-ton

Ricky Ponting turned back the clock with an unbeaten Sheffield Shield double-century and his partner Jason Krejza made his second first-class ton as Tasmania piled on 6 for 425 before declaring on the second day against New South Wales in Hobart. In reply, the Blues reached 1 for 145 at stumps, with the former Tasmania batsman David Dawson on 70 and Tim Cruickshank on 37, and they trailed by 280 runs.

The only wicket to fall on the second day was that of New South Wales opener Scott Henry, who was caught and bowled by Luke Butterworth for 27. Earlier, the Tigers had added 115 to their overnight total for the loss of no wickets as Ponting and Krejza built an unbeaten 293-run partnership, comfortably breaking the Tasmanian seventh-wicket record of 215 set by Michael Bevan and Damien Wright in 2004.

Krejza finished unbeaten on 118 and it was his first Sheffield Shield hundred; his other first-class ton came for Australia A against Pakistan A in 2009. Ponting, 38, brought up his third Shield double-century with a quick single off Trent Copeland and that brought the Tasmanian declaration with Ponting not out on 200.

It took his Shield tally this summer to 555 runs at the remarkable average of 185, for he has been dismissed only three times from seven innings. Only Phillip Hughes (673) has scored more runs than Ponting in this Shield season.