Recent Match Report – Tasmania vs West Aust 24th Match 2020/21

There were half-centuries from Shaun Marsh and Josh Inglis but the home side never threatened a huge chase

Tasmania 514 (Webster 135, Doran 123, Wade 90) and 6 for 184 dec beat Western Australia 219 (Bancroft 57, Freeman 4-72) and 304 (Inglis 54, S Marsh 54, Rainbird 4-67) by 175 runs

There was no miracle chase from Western Australia. They were bowled out midway through the final session of the last day having never seriously threatened to haul in a mammoth 480. When Cameron Gannon was caught at mid-on it confirmed that Queensland would play New South Wales for the title.

Tasmania’s success was shared around to secure their second consecutive victory and suggest that, with some more home advantage next season if all goes well, they could be a title contender.

Sam Rainbird, the left-armer who is not always a first-choice pick, produced some beautiful late inswing during the second innings to add the key middle-order scalps of Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh – both clipping to well-placed midwickets – to his dismissal of Cameron Bancroft the previous evening.

As he had been all season, Jackson Bird was impressive and added three more wickets to his tally including Josh Inglis who was brilliantly caught by Tim Paine after an entertaining 54 off 38 balls to cap a fine season for the wicketkeeper.

Western Australia’s slimmest of hopes rested on the perfect day – two sessions of brisk accumulation with, perhaps, just three wickets lost to set up a final-session dash for the line with the middle-order power in their side.

Partnerships threatened to build but never developed. Sam Whiteman was caught behind early and Shaun Marsh fell shortly before lunch for a well-made half-century.

During the afternoon Green hinted that he could produce something significant and briefly put the foot down, but was undone by some smart captaincy from Matthew Wade when he picked out the squarer of two midwickets placed exactly for the strong clip he played off the pads against Rainbird.

However, during the course of his 40 he had passed 900 runs for the season and will finish as the leading run-scorer of the competition. There are many more runs to come from that bat.

Two overs later Mitchell Marsh fell in almost identical fashion as he picked out the straighter of the two leg-side catchers and it was only a question of how long it would take Tasmania.

Ashton Agar, edging to slip, and Inglis both fell before tea then a 48-run stand between the injured Joel Paris and Matt Kelly briefly delayed the end.

Jarrod Freeman broke through shortly before the new ball when Paris shouldered arms and had his off stump taken before the quicks returned to wrap it up.