Tasmania edged out Western Australia by just three runs in one of the most gripping Sheffield Shield finishes in recent memory, sealing victory on a tense final morning in Hobart. The visitors fell agonisingly short of their 259-run chase, bowled out for 255 in a match that swung wildly until the final delivery.
Western Australia looked dead and buried at 8-200 after quicks Gabe Bell and Riley Meredith dismantled the middle order, only for wicketkeeper Joel Curtis and spinner Corey Rocchiccioli to stage a brave fightback.
The pair frustrated Tasmania with a 52-run stand for the ninth wicket, inching within touching distance of an unlikely win.
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Bird lands the killer blow
Curtis’ defiance finally ended when Meredith trapped him leg-before just after he reached his half-century, leaving Rocchiccioli to battle on with last man Liam Haskett.
The pair managed to scrape together three more runs before veteran seamer Jackson Bird delivered the knockout blow, a vengeful yorker that struck Haskett on the foot and sparked wild celebrations among the home players.
The thrilling win keeps Tasmania unbeaten in this season’s red-ball campaign, while Western Australia’s title defence continues to falter after back-to-back defeats.
Elsewhere, Victoria overcame New South Wales by 38 runs thanks to Scott Boland’s five-wicket haul, and Queensland cruised past South Australia by seven wickets, with spinner Mitchell Swepson claiming man-of-the-match honours for his 10-wicket performance.