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Tasmania win Sheffield Shield

Roar Pro
21st March, 2011
6

Tasmania won the Sheffield Shield with a seven wicket victory over NSW in the final at Bellerive Oval on Monday.

The Tigers chased down their victory total of 203 just before tea on day five of the final, capping off a brilliant season in which they won their last six games.

There were a few wobbly moments during the run chase, but the home side got there in the end, with Mark Cosgrove hitting the winning runs off NSW spinner Stephen O’Keefe.

Sent in late on Sunday after an aggressive declaration from the Blues, Tigers openers Ed Cowan and Nick Kruger were lucky to survive the four overs they faced when the visitors missed three catches.

But the Blues held them on Monday morning to dismiss both Cowan (21) and Kruger (31) as Tasmania weren’t out of the woods at 2-71.

Cowan was the first to go, caught by Phil Jaques at mid-on while trying to hook Scott Coyte (1-8).

It was slow going for the Tigers from there, as scoring got tougher against the weary Blues pacemen on an inconsistent fifth day pitch.

Kruger was out to a juggling effort from O’Keefe at square leg as he flicked a Trent Copeland delivery off his pads.

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After tea, skipper George Bailey (25) had a mental lapse and took off recklessly for a single, and Cummins obliged him by throwing the stumps down to make it 3-131.

But Doolan and Cosgrove were steady, putting on a 72-run partnership to see the Tigers home for their second Shield title.

The Tigers’ only other Sheffield Shield title came in 2006-07.

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