Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5632x7680 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

Convincing outright win sinks NSW's slim Shield hopes
Tasmania takes the points
Tasmanian team members gather gleefully after NSW's Peter Clifford was dismissed for 15 in yesterday's Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. The glee later turned to joy as NSW crumbled to an outright loss. NSW opener John Dyson drives a ball for four during his innings of 80 against Tasmania at the SCG yesterday. Help
Tasmanian team members gather gleefully after NSW's Peter Clifford was dismissed for 15 in yesterday's
Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. The glee later turned to joy as NSW crumbled to an outright loss.
Tasmanian team members gather gleefully after NSW's Peter Clifford was dismissed for 15 in yesterday's Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. The glee later turned to joy as NSW crumbled to an outright loss. NSW opener John Dyson drives a ball for four during his innings of 80 against Tasmania at the SCG yesterday. Help
NSW opener John Dyson drives a ball for four during his innings
of 80 against Tasmania at the SCG yesterday.
SYDNEY: Tasmania had a con
vincing outright win against NSW in
the Sheffield Shield match which
ended at the SCG yesterday.
Tasmania won by 50 runs after
being outplayed for about 3Vi days.
The win continued the run of vic
tories Tasmania has had over NSW
during the past few seasons.
In their past four Shield encoun
ters, NSW has been beaten by
Tasmania. And the losses have all
occurred under the captaincy of
Rick McCosker.
However, in this match it was
McCosker who had made it possible
for either team to record maximum
points for an outright win - some
thing that Tasmanian skipper Roger
Woolley was quick to point out.
"The credit for the state of the
game goes to McCosker," Woolley
said after the match. "His declara
tion gave both sides a chance."
Tasmania scored 288 and 319.
NSW had declared its first innings
at two for 289 to set the scene for
yesterday's exciting climax.
The win further secured
Tasmania's third place on the Shield
table, with matchcs yet to come
against leader Western Australia in
a fortnight's time and second-placed
Queensland a week later.
An irony of yesterday's match was
that it was a former . New South
Welshman. Peter Clough, who
ripped through NSW's batting.
In a devastating five-over spell
Clough wrapped up the game. He
bowled fast and accurately and was
rewarded with five wickets.
Leg-spinner Stuart Saunders, who
was nursed along during the game by
the astute captaincy of Woolley,
took the other five wickets.
"Saunders is an over-by-over prop
osition: you just have to watch him
as he goes," Woolley said later.
However, the state of the game
and the resultant pressure on NSW's
batsmen probably provided Saun
ders with his best bowling oppor
tunity this season.
As McCoskcr said, "He
(Saunders] had it all his own way
attacking the off-stump with his leg
spinners and turning the ball at right
angles."
McCoskcr was naturally disap
pointed after the match and said
NSW's best hope now would be to
finish third in the Shield competi
tion.
After a good start by McCosker
and John Dyson, NSW's required
run-rate rose from 3.6 an over to
more than five an over. And then the
last six wickets fell for 50 runs.
"It was too big a responsibility on
the new boys," McCosker said.
The task for NSW had looked
difficult from the time Tasmania's
second innings ended just before
midday when Peter Faulkner was
stumped by Steve Rixon off Bob
Holland for 76. Faulkner had been
involved in a 51-run partnership with
Steve Small for the ninth wicket -
it was a partnership that had helped
Tasmania into a sound and safe
position.
The best of NSW's bowlers were
spinner Holland, who finished with
four for 98, and paceman Dave Gil
bert, three for 58.
Unfortunately for NSW, it was
without the services of Gilbert after
the first over when he was forced off
the field because of muscle strain in
the groin.
NSW was put into a strong posi
tion as Dyson and McCosker put on
122 in 134 minutes. But the loss of
Peter Clifford for 15 and then Dyson
for 80 put NSW behind the required
run-rate.
Some of the blame for NSW's
troubles has to be put on Dyson, who
did not seem to push for sharp
singles when the scoring slowed
down.
With Dyson's departure at three
for 178, newcomer Greg Geise was
placed under pressure to scorc quick
ly. Geise hit out but was caught by
David Boon off Saunders for four.
Greg Matthews, who was pro
moted in the batting order and came
in after Clifford,, made a commen
dable 48 in 108 minutes. It was an
innings highlighted by some great
running between the wickets.
But Matthews attempting to force
the pace, mis-hit a ball from Clough
and was caught by Boon.
. Rod Bower was dismissed for a
plucky 21 also to Clough and NSW's
final hopes of victory disappeared
when Rixon was out for 19.
Clough had bowled magnificently.
His 19 overs came in two spells -
with his last 13 overs being bowled
after tea. He maintained an im
maculate line and length through
out.
Saunders, who had not bowled
much before tea, was given a lot of
work to do in the final session.
$