A brilliant first innings has seen Tasmania win just their second match of the season after a convincing win over the ladder-leading Victorian Bushrangers.
The Bushrangers struggled to tally runs in their first innings with Beau Webster (3/18) and Hamish Kingston (3/40) producing a brilliant attack for the hosts to limit Victoria to just 165.
The Tigers came to the crease and did not disappoint with Ben Dunk (190), Alex Doolan (119) and George Bailey (107) all putting on a show to see Tasmania record their highest score all season with the Victorians – led by Jake Reed (3/114) – struggling to take wickets and seeing the hosts declare at 8/566.
Cameron White (106) led a late-Victorian revival however it wasn’t enough as Evan Gulbis (4/56) and Hamish Kingston (3/53) put the Sheffield Shield favourites to bed with an innings and 136-run win bowling the Bushrangers all out for 265.
Victoria Bushrangers – 165 (Chris Tremain 28; Beau Webster 3/18), 265 (Cameron White 106; Evan Gulbis 4/56)
Tasmanian Tigers – 8/566D (Ben Dunk 190; Jake Reed 3/114)
The Victorian Bushrangers are out to secure a finals berth when they head south to Bellerive Oval to take on the last-placed Tasmanian Tigers. Join The Roar for score updates from 10:30am (AEDT).
Tasmania are coming off a heavy defeat at the hands of the Queensland Bulls, whom they lost to by seven wickets after Jack Wildermuth bowled career-best figures of 6/87.
Still, the Tigers showed plenty of fight, with Beau Webster batting to reach 106 runs and bowling for 3/51 during the first innings.
There are only two changes to Daniel Marsh’s 12-man squad, with Tim Paine and Alex Doolan replacing Jordan Silk and Jake Doran.
Victoria showed why they are favourites to take out yet another Shield title during their Round 7 win over title contenders South Australia, winning by 218 runs after Scott Boland and Fawad Ahmed took eight and five wickets respectively.
The visitors have made three changes – Clint McKay has been omitted, Rob Quiney has a minor calf injury, while Glenn Maxwell has Test commitments.
The trio are replaced by Cameron White, Aaron Ayre and Jon Holland.
John Hastings and Aaron Finch are unavailable, with the pair headed to South Africa for the upcoming three-test Twenty20 series in the lead-up to the World Twenty20 tournament to be held in India.
Victoria and Tasmania last met back in Round 6, for the start of the second half of the season. The Bushrangers cruised to a seven-wicket win at the MCG, following a great performance from Dan Christian for the hosts.
The home side could be saved by the weather, with an 80 per cent chance of rain on Day 1 and possible showers on Days 2 and 4.
Prediction
Victoria will record a convincing win and secure their place in the Sheffield Shield final.
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