Doolan, Cosgrove punish Redbacks
Alex Doolan and the former Redback Mark Cosgrove peeled off centuries as Tasmania powered to 2 for 354 against South Australia on day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval
ESPNcricinfo staff
09-Oct-2012
Tasmania 2 for 354 (Doolan 141*, Cosgrove 104, Ponting 60*) v South Australia
Scorecard
Scorecard
Alex Doolan and the former Redback Mark Cosgrove peeled off centuries as Tasmania powered to 2 for 354 against South Australia on day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.
Only the Test opener Ed Cowan missed out on the scoring spree, adjudged LBW to SA's new captain Johan Botha in the morning session, before Doolan and Cosgrove put on 166 in a partnership that took the Tigers past tea. Ricky Ponting then accompanied Doolan to stumps in another percussive stand.
SA had opportunities in the field, as catches went down off each batsman to make a strong score. Cosgrove was put down by Botha on 47, and Doolan missed by Chadd Sayers on 37, both chances from the bowling of the Test spinner Nathan Lyon. Phillip Hughes then turfed a slips chance offered by Ponting late in the day.
The Redbacks' troubles were compounded by injury. Tom Cooper suffered a suspected broken finger when trying to stop a Cosgrove drive and spent much of the day off the field, while the left-armer Gary Putland was forced off at the start of his 16th over by an apparent hand injury. It is unclear whether he will be able to return, though Cooper is still expected to bat.
Cosgrove's century was a reminder to the Redbacks of the prodigious shot-making talent they lost when they allowed the left-hander to move to Tasmania, while Doolan showed his commendably upright and elegant technique in soaring to his highest first-class score, dotted with 22 boundaries and two sixes.
They were separated in the final session when Cosgrove was tardy getting back for a second and was run out well short of the crease, but that brought Ponting to the crease for a valuable chance to find some touch ahead of the forthcoming Tests against South Africa.
Ponting cruised along as the shadows lengthened across the oval, in reconstruction mode ahead of the introduction of AFL matches to the ground in coming years, slapping no fewer than five sixes.