Matthew Wade and rain frustrate Western Australia's final hopes

Matthew Wade, rain and then bad light frustrated Western Australia's attempts to make the running in a match they need to win to reach the Sheffield Shield final.

Victory against Tasmania would secure them a place in the decider later this month against either New South Wales or Queensland, but a draw is no good so time lost is a problem. Their ambitions were also hit when the in-form Joel Paris, who had claimed two early wickets, was unable to bowl again following one over after lunch due to a groin injury.

Western Australia had made a strong start in the morning session after choosing to bowl, reducing Tasmania to 3 for 59, but an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 123 between Wade and Jake Doran blunted their efforts.

They were able to include captain Mitchell Marsh and allrounder Ashton Agar in their side but did not find room for Josh Philippe who had been named in the 14-man squad. For Marsh it was his first Sheffield Shield match since October 2019 and just his second first-class outing since the 2019 Ashes Test at The Oval.

Marsh and Agar were among seven bowlers used but were unable to add to the early inroads.

Left-armer Paris picked up where he left off in the previous outing against Victoria, where he scored a century and took a five-wicket haul, when he found the edge of Jordan Silk from round the wicket in ninth over.

Debutant Tim Ward, who had been handed his cap by Tim Paine, shaped up well in his first innings until being undone by a good spell from Cameron Gannon and edging to slip.

Paris then struck a second time when Caleb Jewell nibbled at one outside off stump and was smartly held by Shaun Marsh at second slip. However, after sending down the opening over of the second session he did not return.

Western Australia would still have had hopes of advancing the game significantly, but Wade and Doran showed that the surface held few gremlins. For large parts of the afternoon the run rate hovered around two an over as either side tried to claim the advantage.

Wade brought up his half-century from 135 balls with a hooked six off Mitchell Marsh during an over that cost 11 making it the most expensive of the day.

Rain arrived early in the final session and though it cleared to allow a brief resumption, during which Doran went to a 152-ball half-century, the umpires soon decided that the artificial lights had overtaken natural light too much to continue.