Sheffield Shield: Tasmania fight back late against WA

Tasmania fought hard to make 215 in their first innings in the Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA Ground with WA 0-20 in reply at stumps.

Tasmania were bowled out for a competitive 215 after earlier being 6-105 on the opening day of the Shield season.

The home side then faced six overs before stumps without hiccup to be 0-20 with Marcus Harris on 17 and Cameron Bancroft two.

Tasmania looked unlikely to get near 200 when they were 6-105 after George Bailey won the toss and elected to bat with WA’s quartet of pace bowlers taking the immediate ascendancy.

However, Tim Paine (34) and debutant Hamish Kingston (22) fought hard to at least make WA work for their wickets and then a counterattack from Xavier Doherty (37) and Sam Rainbird (25) saw the Tigers make 215.

Nathan Rimmington was the pick of WA’s bowlers with 5-38 while Jason Behrendorff took two wickets with one each to Michael Hogan and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Rimmington has received limited Shield chances with WA the last two years but the former Queenslander hopes his five-wicket haul is the start of his resurrection in four-day cricket.

“I have tried to make the most of every opportunity and hopefully this is the start of me doing that this season,” Rimmington said.

“I just wanted to get the opportunity to play first-class cricket again even though I played the pink ball game last year, but I didn’t play at the WACA. Luckily I was able to get a few wickets.”

WA’s bowlers got on top early with left-armer Behrendorff having former Test batsman Ed Cowan (0) trapped in front and then having Jordan Silk (16) caught behind by Sam Whiteman.

After Tasmania stumbled to 2-16, Bailey and Jon Wells tried to resurrect things however the skipper was bowled by Rimmington for 15 as the visitors went into lunch at 3-48.

Wells had fought hard for 37 before being caught behind off Rimmington and when Evan Gulbis copped a rough leg before call for 13 off Michael Hogan, Tasmania were in trouble at 6-105.

However, Paine and Kingston put on 44 runs in 139 balls to steady before Paine was bowled by Rimmington. Kingston soon joined him adjudged leg before off Ashton Agar, but Doherty showed his experience with a late attacking knock.

He made 37, including seven boundaries, until being caught behind by Whiteman with a terrific catch to give Rimmington a fifth wicket, and then Rainbird fell in the deep for 25 with the score 215.