NSW in trouble in must-win Shield game against Tasmania
Tasmania have a lead of 226 and are only one wicket down in the second innings of their Sheffield Shield match against NSW, who must win to reach the final
AAP
16-Mar-2025
Beau Webster celebrates a wicket on his way to a five-for • Getty Images
Tasmania 331 (Silk 112, Abbott 6-99, Dwarshuis 3-77) and 81 for 1 (Weatherald 63*) lead New South Wales 186 (Dwarshuis 40*, Webster 5-44, Meredith 3-43) by 226 runs
Beau Webster, Riley Meredith and Jake Weatherald have combined to put a major dent in New South Wales' (NSW) Sheffield Shield hopes and give Tasmania control at Bellerive Oval.
Halfway through their pink-ball clash, the home side was 81 for 1 in its second innings, boasting an overall lead of 226.
Third-placed NSW must beat Tasmania, who are last, in the final round to leapfrog Queensland and face South Australia (SA) in the final.
While Queensland are in major trouble after SA took control of their game in Adelaide, NSW will have to rally in Hobart if they are to take advantage of their opportunity.
NSW struggled in the middle session of the day-night game on day two and were rolled for 186 in their first innings, as Webster and Meredith excelled with the ball.
Weatherald then ended the day with an unbeaten 63 and his dismissal early on Monday will be a priority for the NSW attack.
Tasmania resumed on 309 for 7 and the early interest on Sunday afternoon was whether captain Jordan Silk, in his 100th Shield game, could score a century. He delighted the home crowd by reaching 112 in 208 balls, with 12 fours, before Ben Dwarshuis bowled him to end their first innings.
Sean Abbott led the NSW attack with 6 for 99 and Dwarshuis snared 3 for 77.
Bowling with significant pace, Meredith took two wickets in an over as the visitors were put on the back foot in their first innings. Test opener Sam Konstas only made 5 and while Kurtis Patterson (33), Josh Philippe (25) and Abbott (30) made starts, NSW lost 3 for 0 to stagger to 134 for 8.
But Dwarshuis ensured Tasmania would bat again on Sunday, belting 40 from 31 balls, with six fours and two sixes, to help take NSW past the follow-on target.
Webster, the Test allrounder, took 5 for 44 and Meredit claimed 3 for 43.
Jackson Bird dismissed Nivethan Radhakrishnan for 6 to give NSW the early breakthrough they needed in Tasmania's second innings. Weatherald and Tim Ward (11 not out) then batted through to stumps, turning the screws tighter on NSW.