Jaques hundred sets up NSW win

Phil Jaques reinforced his claim to a place in the national side with a superb century - a record fourth in the ING Cup this summer - that led New South Wales to a 12-run win against Tasmania. Jaques smashed 138 out of 311, but Tim Paine threatened to win it for the Tigers with a hundred of his own before a middle-order collapse.

Paine and Travis Birt set up the ideal platform to chase the huge total with an opening stand of 179. Birt played the more aggressive innings, hitting two sixes and ten fours in his 89 before falling in the 31st over. Adam Polkinghorne and Michael Di Venuto added quick runs and when Di Venuto became Stuart MacGill's second wicket, Tasmania needed only 85 off 77 balls. However, NSW managed to slow things down.

MacGill dismissed Paine in the 46th over when the equation had risen to 40 off 25, and the pressure proved too much for Tasmania. They lost six wickets for 18 and finished on 9 for 299. MacGill took 3 for 44 but it was Aaron O'Brien's three-wicket burst at the death that sealed the match for NSW.

After choosing to bat, Jaques powered NSW in a 65-run opening stand with Craig Simmons. Matthew Phelps joined Jaques after Ben Hilfenhaus dismissed Simmons and Matthew Nicholson off successive overs and they added 130 in 134 balls. Phelps made 67 while Jaques motored along to a century that included 15 fours and a six. He fell for 138, taking his season tally to 658 in eight matches, and he overtook the three hundreds in a season of Stuart Law, Darren Lehmann, Matthew Hayden, Matthew Elliott and Brad Hodge.