Tasmania ride on Paine's hundred
A fine maiden first-class hundred from Tim Paine and half-centuries to Michael Bevan and Travis Birt put Tasmania firmly in command over a butter-fingered Western Australia on day one at the WACA
Cricinfo staff
22-Oct-2006
A fine maiden first-class hundred from Tim Paine and half-centuries to Michael Bevan and Travis Birt put Tasmania firmly in command over a butter-fingered Western Australia on day one at the WACA. On the same ground on which Western Australia posted a mammoth 3 for 608 a week ago, Paine and Bevan, who added 132 for the second wicket, cashed in on dropped catches - both were reprieved in one over from Ben Edmondson - to take toll of the bowling.
Justin Langer, the Western Australia captain, won the toss, inserted Tasmania under overcast skies, and Sean Ervine, the former Zimbabwe allrounder, quickly removed Michael Di Venuto (14). But if Langer thought the early wicket would start a slide, Paine and Bevan had other plans. Paine, 21, was playing only his fifth match for his state and easily beat his previous best of 36 in an unbeaten 119 that included 13 boundaries.
Bevan got his first impressive Pura Cup score of the season, an 87-ball 83, and hit Edmondson for consecutive sixes over fine leg shortly after lunch. He eventually fell to a catch behind off Ervine, the most successful bowler with 2 for 35 from 16 overs. Bevan's dismissal ushered in Birt, who progressed to 71 before he edged Aaron Heal's left-arm spin to Luke Ronchi eight overs before bad light ended play.