Rain washes out opener

This was hailed as the Big Bash, but ended up being the Big Dash - for shelter, as heavy rain and hailstones washed out the first match of Australia's Twenty20 competition, between Queensland and Tasmania early in the visitors' reply.

A fiery burst from opener Ben Hilfenhaus, who bagged 3 for 17 from his 4 overs, helped to restrict Queensland to a modest 7 for 136. The home side were grateful for opener Jimmy Maher's 59, and for the efforts of Steve Paulsen, too, whose 45 lifted them out of a slump at 4 for 23.

They had captured the early wicket of Michael di Venuto for 5 when heavy rain halted play after just 3.1 overs of Queensland's reply. The match was abandoned an hour later.

There was more success over in the west, though, particularly for Victoria who completed a two-run win against Western Australia. After a woeful collapse to 3 for 20, Victoria recovered to post 163 thanks largely to Liam Buchanan's silky 47 and Cameron White's blistering 45. Ben Edmondson was the pick of WA's attack, with 3 for 16, and he also ran out Adam Crosthwaite off his own bowling.

WA's reply got off to a slow start, although they picked up the pace and Adam Voges gave them hope with a quickfire 51 from 41 balls. But it was not enough - wickets tumbled thick and fast and they came up two runs short as Shane Harwood held his nerve in the last over: just four runs came off him.