Ponting, Cox defy the odds

Against a side that contains close to half of the nation's modern-day Test team, Tasmania's two finest modern-day batsmen constructed a remarkable partnership to lead their side out of trouble on the opening day of the Pura Cup clash with New South Wales in Hobart. On a glorious spring day at the Bellerive Oval, Ricky Ponting (144*) and Jamie Cox (106) added a dazzling 242 run stand for the third wicket to pilot the Tigers to a mark of 5/279 by stumps.

There has been enough talk of betting in cricket circles of late, certainly. But, on Melbourne Cup Day, it was probably fair to observe that, at a score of 2/0 early in the piece, the Tasmanians were at long odds of finishing in such a position. Set within that context, then, the stand between the two stylish right handers was significant in itself. The fact that the quality of the strokeplay embedded within it was of the highest class therefore only added to its appeal.

Although Ponting was held scoreless for a relatively lengthy period on his arrival at the crease and again in mid-afternoon, his chanceless innings provided a more than ample demonstration of his talents. There was barely a false stroke in a hand in which shots were timed with almost complete perfection and despatched to virtually all parts of the ground.

"It was hard work early," said Ponting of the circumstances that confronted him when he walked to the crease a little over ten minutes into the day's play.

"The ball swung most of the day; even with the old ball, there was quite a lot of swing there."

Cox, still surely not out of the reckoning in the clamour for Test opening spots at present, also played a typically attractive innings. His driving through the off side was a particular highlight and his judgement of when to play and when to leave deliveries on and outside the line of off stump was impeccable.

After weathering the pair's onslaught, the Blues, and more particularly left arm speedster Nathan Bracken (3/85), did eventually strike back sharply in the last hour. Bracken beat a driving Cox with a yorker forty-five minutes before stumps. Five balls later, he wrought similar damage upon the castle of Daniel Marsh (0). And then, from the first delivery of his next over, he attracted a thick edge from the bat of the sadly out of form Shaun Young (5) as the all-rounder forced at one seaming away.

Notwithstanding the complete absence of cloud cover, conditions were especially difficult for batting early, with the ball seaming and swinging noticeably. This was underlined when Dene Hills (0) and Michael DiVenuto (0) lost their wickets inside the opening three overs of the match. Both players were caught behind off the bowling of Brett Lee (2/68) - wicketkeeper Brad Haddin snaring a brilliant catch low and to his left to remove a defending Hills and then effecting a regulation dismissal as DiVenuto launched a loose slash at a shorter, wider delivery. At that stage, it looked as though the visitors had backed a winner by deciding to insert the Tasmanians on the chocolate-coloured pitch.

For the Blues, Bracken and Don Nash (0/30) were clearly the pick of the bowlers on a day when their more illustrious teammates in Lee and leg spinner Stuart MacGill (0/53) both struggled to impress. The luckless Nash's line, in particular, was tight and unerring all day. He was unlucky not to finish with a wicket - indeed, a dropped catch by Steve Waugh at slip off his bowling (when Cox had only 41 alongside his name) proved very expensive.