'No fight, no plan': Bird and Bell sink New South Wales to innings defeat
The last wicket pair survived 28 overs to take the game to the final session before Riley Meredith's pace finished the game off
AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Nov-2025 • 4 hrs ago
Riley Meredith celebrates taking the match-winning wicket • Getty Images
Tasmania 623 for 8 dec (Chaudhary, Ward 119, Jewell 102, Hope 91, Sangha 4-175) beat New South Wales 391 for 9 dec (Patterson 80, Shaw 68, Philippe 52, Hicks 50, Meredith 3-77) and 174 (Shaw 44, Bell 3-30, Bird 3-36) by an innings and 58 runs
Jackson Bird and Gabe Bell shared six wickets to dismantled New South Wales' second innings and secure Tasmania a crushing innings and 58-run Sheffield Shield victory over Tasmania.
In a match in which neither team was able to take all 10 wickets in the first innings, NSW collapsed on day four to be all out for 174 in 92 overs at Cricket Central in Sydney.
After falling to 143 for 9, NSW captain Jack Edwards (38 off 137 balls) dug in with No. 11 Liam Hatcher (8 not out off 79 balls) for 28 overs to frustrate the Tigers, before Riley Meredith took the final wicket, nipping one past Edward's edge to take off stump, to finally sink the the home side.
Tasmania became the first team to secure an outright win in a Shield game at Cricket Central, with the previous four matches at the venue ending in draws.
Cruising at 102 for 2, NSW lost 8 for 41 in the next 25 overs to hand Tasmania their second win of the season. Bell took three wickets in an over: Josh Philippe glancing down the leg side, Charlie Stobo lbw and Tanveer Sangha edging behind. Edwards was clearly unhappy with the umpire's decision for the latter
After a breezy 43 on day one, Sam Konstas struggled for his 19 in the second innings before being dismissed by Bird against his former team.
Patterson made 80 in his first innings, but could only manage 1 when batting again as Tasmania captain Jordan Silk pulled off a stunning catch in slips off Bird's bowling.
That made Bird the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Shield history with 421, only behind legendary legspinner Clarrie Grimmett (513) and Queensland pair Michael Kasprowicz (441) and Andy Bichel (430).
After being dropped from Australia's Test team following a difficult tour of the Caribbean, Konstas is yet to recapture his best since going back to domestic cricket this season. He will get another opportunity this weekend when he plays for the PM's XI against the England Lions in Canberra.
Patterson, who played the last of his two Tests in 2019, has experienced a mixed start to the season but scored a century against Queensland in November.
Former NSW coach Phil Jaques was scathing in his assessment of the Blues' last day collapse.
"The second innings there's been no fight, no plan and no effort," Jaques said in commentary, before the recovery from Edwards and Hatcher. "That might sound harsh, but there's got to be some application. There's got to be some fight. It fell away badly in the field too."
Tasmania, who had been bottom of the table, took full advantage of a good batting wicket to belt their way to 623 for 8 dec declared as Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim Ward and Caleb Jewell all made centuries.