Tasmanians secure resounding victory

Tasmania has cruised to victory over Queensland in its Mercantile Mutual Cup game at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart today. Set 102 for victory, the Tigers needed just half of the allocated overs, reaching the target for the loss of only three wickets.

The Tasmanian side's chase began poorly, with Michael Kasprowicz claiming the wicket of opener Todd Pinnington (0) with the first ball of the innings. Pinnington was caught behind, edging the ball to keeper Wade Seccombe.

Kasprowicz's opening partner Adam Dale snared the Tigers' next wicket, just three overs later, as Seccombe again took an easy catch behind the wicket. The dismissal of Dene Hills (3) left the Tigers teetering at 2/8.

Opener Jamie Cox (27) and Shaun Young (52*) set about rebuilding Tasmania's innings, as Cox guided a Kasprowicz delivery past gully for four.

Young survived an appeal for lbw off the next Kasprowicz over, and rubbed salt into the wound by driving the next ball through gully and point to the boundary.

Cox and Young continued to find the fence, both beating the mid off fieldsmen in consecutive overs. Young was probably a touch lucky to survive two lbw appeals off Dale's bowling.

The introduction of Ashley Noffke to the bowling attack proved fruitful for the Tigers. Young first cut the bowler through gully and point for three, and then added four more to his score, driving over Noffke's head.

Cox took Young's lead and in Noffke's next over cut a delivery past point for four, and then deftly chipped the ball over square leg for two. Young featured in the runs again as he took another boundary off the Queensland bowler.

However, a quick delivery from Dale saw Cox (27) become the Tasmanians' third victim, out to a lbw decision. Young was then joined at the crease by teenager Shane Watson (16*).

Young and Watson quickly piled on more runs, the former again finding the boundary through the gully. The man of the match reserved special punishment for the medium pace of Scott Prestwidge, pulling him twice through square leg for sixes in the same over.

With Tasmania needing just six runs to win, rain looked likely to set in. However, Young took delight in again driving Noffke to the boundary, then bringing up his 50, and registering the winning runs by lobbing a shot into vacant space at deep cover point.

After a brilliant display with the ball earlier in the day on a helpful pitch, the Tasmanians took full points from the match. What made it even better was that they also recieved a bonus point for reaching their target within 35.1 of the maximum forty-four overs available to them in the rain-reduced contest. The win will not completely remove the sour taste left by the drubbing they received from the Bulls in the Pura Cup match between the sides that concluded two days ago. However, the determination, spirit and unity shown today by the Tigers shows there is still a spark in Tasmanian cricket.