Sheffield Shield Game 12: Tasmania v Western Australia @ Hobart (Tue-Fri)

[Russian]

vs

Bellerive Oval, Hobart
10:30am Tuesday December 8-Friday December 11​

Wooden spoon battle in Tassie, although if there's an outright winner, that team will temporarily move to the top of the table. The forecast suggests a result is unlikely but the way these teams have batted this year 40 wickets could easily fall in 3 days of play.

Tassie took first innings points in the last game thanks to Ed Cowan's first innings 225. His 15 in the second innings was also made to look good by his top 3 partners Wells and Doolan managing just 10 and 18 respectively in two innings. Skipper Bailey and ex-skipper Marsh had one good innings and one bad one, while the 4 all rounders, Jones and Macdonald contributed just 48 in the first innings, with Butterworth the only one to bat in the second. They did ok with the ball, Macdonald enjoying the first change role with 3 wickets, and Cowan's knock seems to have got the rest of the batsmen another chance, with Brendan Drew the only addition to the 11, strangely picked ahead of Gerard Denton.

The WACA selectors have also been very kind to a side that was pitiful against New South Wales, with only Justin Coetzee dropped so far. Ashley Noffke returns and if Magoffin and Dorey are both passed fit, Michael Hogan looks like being the unlucky bowler because you don't need 5 quicks even with 2 spuds in the top 6. Aaron Heal's been taken as the spinner just to save an airfare as he'll be wanted for Sunday's one dayer. He'd give more with bat and ball than Doropoulos but probably not going to happen.

Tasmania XII:
Ed Cowan
Jon Wells
Alex Doolan
*George Bailey
Dan Marsh
Luke Butterworth
James Faulkner
Brett Geeves
Jason Krejza
+Brady Jones
Brendan Drew
Tim Macdonald
In:
Drew

Western Australia XIII:
Luke Towers
Wes Robinson
Shaun Marsh
*Adam Voges
Mitch Marsh
Theo Doropoulos
+Luke Ronchi
Ashley Noffke
Steve Magoffin
Aaron Heal
Brett Dorey
Brad Knowles
Michael Hogan
In:
Noffke
Heal
Dorey

Out:
Justin Coetzee

Weather:
Fine on days 1 and 4, a few showers on day 2 and more on day 3. 17 degrees every day except Wednesday when it's 19

Session Times
First session: 10:30am-12:30pm
Second session: 1:10-3:10pm
Third session: 3:30-5:30pm

Points Table:
Victoria - 14 (3)
South Australia - 8 (4)
New South Wales - 6 (3)
Queensland - 8 (4)
Western Australia - 4 (4)
Tasmania - 4 (4)

Coverage:
Cricket Australia's scorecard

daily from 10am* (online)
*according to the website, may be from 7:30 when the game starts

Tickets:
Adults - $8
Concession/Children - $4
Family - $16
(Gates open 10am)

 

[CAS79]

Wells survives despite his poor form.

I thought Birth would have come back.

Well use your luck Wells and make this one stick.

A lot in this game is going to depend on bowlers who are very hit and miss.

Edit - was unaware that Wells had made 140 odd in grade cricket on the weekend. Possibly his last chance to perform at this level though.

 

[kenrosewall]

Timely knock that one by Wells in grade cricket. This has to be his last chance, and he is probably lucky Lockyear is injured as that would have seemed the logical replacement.

Can't say that WA team is all that intimidating with the exception of Magoffin and Dorey who both seem to perform well against us. Will be good to head down if I get a chance and watch young Mitch Marsh have a hit. Hopefully this week is his chance to fail however.

I thought Paine was meant to be back by now, but obviously not. Maybe we should use this game to get Jones to only keep for half of each innings and give him a trundle as he has done well with the ball in the TCA. Looking forward to watching Bailey bat as always, and a good knock here could see him in with a sniff of an international berth during the summer. Would also like to see Faulkner or Butterworth step forward a claim to being Australia's best all-rounder at domestic level as I have no doubt that both have the potential.

The weather forecast could be a bit iffy, but CT has signalled that they will unroll the new lights if required, which might help make up some lost time.

 

[demon21]

I would have liked Denton to come back in the team but maybe they think he isnt ready for the 4 day game.

I would hope that we dont play both Butterworth and Faulkner we should only be playing 1 of those guys.

 

[kenrosewall]

Sounds like the coverage on SportFM doesn't start until 10am, as all I'm getting is some elevator music.

Tassie has won the toss and sent WA in.

Already 1/3 with Butterworth having Robinson caught down the legside in his first over.

Was just thinking that with the prospect of Siddle missing the 3rd test and Hilfy seeming unlikely to return, McKay will most likely come in, but with a good performance here Geevesy might get a look in as drinks waiter (especially if Watson is also under a cloud).

 

[kenrosewall]

Gee I'm fed up with the cricket.com scoreboards.

The home page has WA 2/67 yet when you access the HTML scoreboard its still at 1/39!

Sounds like Geevesy was getting pretty frustrated toward the end of his spell. Had 0/9 off 8 overs or so and then had an edge through the slips go for 4 before he fielded the next ball and threw it for 4 over throws.

 

[likka]

Gee I'm fed up with the cricket.com scoreboards.

Domestic scores are back on cricinfo...

 

[kenrosewall]

Thanks Likka, didn't realise that! I thought there was some sort of contractural arangement prohibiting anyone else from covering it live.

However, I just noticed it doesn't do the ball-by-ball commentary which is what I'm after. Seems like I will just have to put up with cricket.com

 

[aussie1st]

Gee I'm fed up with the cricket.com scoreboards.

The home page has WA 2/67 yet when you access the HTML scoreboard its still at 1/39!

Sounds like Geevesy was getting pretty frustrated toward the end of his spell. Had 0/9 off 8 overs or so and then had an edge through the slips go for 4 before he fielded the next ball and threw it for 4 over throws.

Works fine for me, usually a refresh can help.

 

[Hellgood]

Towers and Ronchi going fairly well now

 

[whichone]

Ronchi?

Towers gets his hundred, Marsh on 6*, WA 3/193.

 

[kane249]

Towers and Ronchi going fairly well now

Ronchi's yet to bat

Towers brings up his maiden first class century, well done young man

 

[aussie1st]

Over to the star, Mitch Marsh.

 

[Hellgood]

Ronchi's yet to bat

Towers brings up his maiden first class century, well done young man

Voges, anyway 4/232 nearly at stumps. Well done to Towers, has been struggling so good to see him succeed.

 

[CAS79]

Well Bailey looks a little silly now having sent WA in but remembering the shield games from last year this pitch had juice early. But we also had Hilf than and Geeves was in better form.

Still sounds like Towers absorbed some early pressure so well done to him.

 

[kenrosewall]

A slow run-rate by WA has almost already killed off this match as a contest. Looks like just 1st innings points up for grabs, although both teams really need the 6 so some creative captaincy may see a Tassie run chase on Day 4.
Well done to Towers on his maiden first-class century. Tassie seem to have a habit of playing people into form.

While its a beautiful blue-sky morning here, the 3 huntsman taking cover in my abode suggest rain will be on the way today, possibly around lunchtime is my guess. Hopefully WA lift the rate a bit this morning and get to 350 before a declaration. With the form the Tasmanian batsman are in, 250 would test us.

 

[kenrosewall]

I had some coin on WA this morning at $1.66 knowing their strong position at Stumps on Day 1 and Tassie's recent poor showings with the bat (with the exception of Cowan).

They have now lost 2 early wickets which hasn't helped but Ronchi seems oblivious to this and has sent his first 4 deliveries faced to the fence.

 

[kane249]

Ronchi brings up his 50 with a 6

55(40)

 

[aussie1st]

Its so amazing how much Ronchi has improved this season. Was a shame Mitch couldn't go on.

 

[kane249]

Ronchi hits his second century of the season

107 (100) no
Noffke 45no

 

[kenrosewall]

I had some coin on WA this morning at $1.66

Looks like I'm pretty safe already. Ronchi has smoked em.

 

[kane249]

Noffke bring up his 50

 

[YOTC]

Fantastic stuff from Ronchi and Noffke.

Ronchi lost his way at the wrong time

 

[Blue Dimension]

Great to see Ronchi hit some form.

I still maintain he would have been a better option than Manou in the India ODI's considering how ridiculously low he was batting.

 

[thesmallprint]

If Ronchi had played like this last year he would have a baggy green by now.