Ponting ton makes it Tasmania's day
Ricky Ponting clattered his third Sheffield Shield century of the summer as Tasmania maintained their late push to reach the competition final
ESPNcricinfo staff
14-Mar-2013
Tasmania 6 for 369 (Ponting 104, Cosgrove 81, Wells 71, Silk 52) v Victoria
Scorecard
Scorecard
Ricky Ponting clattered his third Sheffield Shield century of the summer as Tasmania maintained their late push to reach the competition final with a confident batting ensemble against Victoria on day one at the Bellerive Oval.
Aside from Ponting, Mark Cosgrove, Jon Wells and Jordan Silk all passed 50, making it a largely barren day for the Bushrangers, who entered the final round as narrow leaders of a tightly bunched Shield table.
Ponting's hundred arrived at a fair clip, John Hastings in particular facing heavy punishment although Fawad Ahmed again held his own with two wickets, including James Faulkner from the final ball of the day, and reasonable economy.
The Tigers attacked in the closing overs, perhaps with an overnight declaration in mind given rain is forecast for the weekend. Silk and Cosgrove had given the hosts an ideal platform by adding 120 for the first wicket, and their partnership of contrasts has looked promising since debuting against the Bulls in Brisbane last week.