I think Ellis took pot luck.

Rainbird picked up 3 scalps. 

Green batted impressively for his 150 NO.

Tas has really let the game slip after having WA 3-43.

Charlie Wakim played some superb shots yesterday, but got out for 57 after Moody bounced him with a beauty, then foliowed up with the classic well pitched up ball for an LBW.

Paine also played some impressive shots in his 21, but fell for the short ball after having two fielders at deep backward square leg and deep square leg. It was poor shot execution as opposed to poor shot selection.  Paine always seems to chase the short ball in the pursuit of runs.

It is raining today, with little chance of play until later.

One issue is that WA appears to have played a 5 man pace attack. No spinner? Is Agar still playing red ball cricket ATM?

 Yes this Tassie attack lacks teeth when they have a team down. Missing the pressure building Bird.

Agree Tim does get himself out far too often.

Agar is taking hat tricks in pyjama/giggler stuff in Safferland DC.

Keep Webster where he is. Seems he bats better when not under top 6 pressure

Should've said left arm pace bowler,  Rainbird, took 5 wickets in the   first  dig. I thought he swung the ball at pace, but sometimes bowled too much down the leg side to right handed batters.

 Beau Webster's batting today was the best innings I've ever seen at Bellerive in the Shield!

187 runs off 187 balls  is a strike rate of 100!

 This is  red ball cricket we are talking about - not white ball cricket.  Webster  made these runs piercing an attacking field with slips fielders - and with great score board pressure from WA. He started batting when Tas were 5-139 chasing 370, subsequently  reaching 390.

Some of  his  cover drives and off drives were hit so hard and cleanly, the fielders barely moved as the ball went to the fence like a tracer bullet.

He  also played a shot many batters struggle with, the leg glance,  exquisitely, for  many  boundaries.

Moreover, some of Webster's square cuts and late cuts were sublime.

He also hooked and pulled with power, plus he hit  three huge sixes, including a powerhouse pull for 6 - almost out of the ground.

 Webster would have made more runs ( probably 230) and an even higher strike rate. However, he refused to take runs when  batting with bunnies like Bell and  other tailenders, as Webster protected them from the strike.

Webster simply annihilated a West Aussie attack after they were right on top when he came to the crease. I think the Sandgropers made a big mistake playing  five pace bowlers, and bowled  virtually no spin.

Then Ellis, Bell and Rainbird cut through the WA batting line up like a knife through butter in the second innings. WA were 3-6 at one stage.

WA finished   the  day with 6-169. Phillippe made a second half century with a strike rate of 90. Few other batters in the game who have made  half tons have had a strike rate much over 50.

If, and a very big if, Webster bats like this  consistently, he walks into the Aus Test team. Plus he bowls handy right arm finger spin.

DC you have answered my question about being at the ground yesterday. Mate Webster must have been on the verge of being dropped before his current purple patch. The selectors have pulled a rabbit from the hat moving him to #7 and playing him as a bowling all rounder. He is now batting without pressure and showing why he was a NPS graduate or was it a national U19 rep. Consistency is what he most needs if he is to force his way into the Baggy Greens.

 I am preferring Philippe's 50 came from 100 balls DC.. that tells me he is learning patience and a propensity to protect his wicket. He did that in his first innings and looked all quality. Were you impressed with Cameron Green's first innings dig too?

Tassie only needs to keep their head and they will wrap up a deserved victory today.

Very impressed with Green - first and second innings.

He has patience.

I thought Philippe's innings had a strike rate of 90 in  the second, and just over 50 in the first.

He looked solid.

I'm worried about Tas's ability to chase a small target and our consistent inconsistency - without Wade. He has played some gritty innings under pressure this year.

Silk looks out of form.

Doolan got out for 24 - displaying poor  concentration again.

Doran scored slowly. 

Wakim looked terrific - playing a patient  game like Green and Philippe. He is an elegant batter. He has mainly failed as a  Shield batter to date though.

McDermott I think averages under 30 at Shield level.

Paine looked in very good touch, but got himself out to the hook trap game plan of the opposition  - again.

What a game at Bellerive!

Tasmania won in the  second last over of the day.

WA were 9-189 and their   last wicket partnership  from Paris 93 and  Mackin (not many runs) of 60 odd runs had the home team chasing 240ish to win. I think Tas had to  score 4.2 runs per over for about 60 odd overs.

Tas's top five  batters in the second innings got out due to poor concentration whilst being in good form, Doolan 20, Wakim 7; or looked hopelessly out of form, Silk 0, Doran 62 from 100 balls, McDermott, 40 odd from about 100 balls.  

Then late in the innings the very in form Paine, 45 from 55 balls, and even more in form Webster, 30 runs from 18 balls, destroyed the WA attack and won the game,  featuring  some scintillating stroke play. Both hit some big sixes.

Doran looked hopelessly out of form. He somehow survived his first 20 odd balls, very luckily, to improve and play some good square of the wicket shots  and one superb straight  drive.

 McDermott played a few decent shots, but was tied down by tight bowling from Paris in particular, Kelly and Moody. When Paine came in at six it looked like a  different  pitch and a different  attack. 

Also, after  the Tassie attack destroyed WA at 9 -189, the impressive  Paris didn't look like getting out against  Tas. He was ably supported by  Simon Mackin ay number 11. Then Ellis bowled  Paris with the new ball , taking 6 wickets  for the innings. Ellis took about 9 wickets for the match, and Rainbird about 6 wickets.

When we looked at the Tas averages for their Shield careers, and this season, they were abominable. Doolan  had 44 for the season and Paine 38, but the rest of the top 6 averaged  from the low thirties  to the teens. It was amazing  Tas scored enough runs to win!

Right at this moment, Beau Webster is easily the best batter in the country outside the Test team.  In two innings in this game  he scored 216 runs for once out  from 205 balls! 


For WA there were three very  impressive  players.

Green - 150 NO and 45. Given he is only 20, looks like a future Test player. Plus he can bowl pace.

Philippe - two solid half centuries, and outside Paine and Webster the only batter with a strike rate easily higher than  50, while the rest struggled to break 50. Philippe kept wickets tidily too. At 22 years of age could be destined for higher honours, apart from Inglis being rated above him as WA keeper.

Paris - 7 wickets for the match and a superb 92 in  the second innings batting at number 8. He bowled very tightly when he needed to in the second innings, extracting swing and movement off the pitch, similar to Tasmania's Rainbird. Both  are left armers, but Rainbird  is decidedly  quicker. The difference was  Paris bowled more tightly. Rainbird strayed on the right hand batters' leg side more often and sent  down too many misdirected bouncers.

For Tas, Ellis and Rainbird starred with the ball. Ellis gained movement and threatened most of the time.

Webster played the best  innings I've ever seen in the Shield at Bellerive or the former Tas HQ at the TCA.

Paine captained the team superbly, batting aggressively and authoritatively. His main issue is he is a compulsive hooker and puller - no matter how many fielders are placed at deep backward leg, deep square leg and deep mid wicket.

Conversely, Marsh's tactics were baffling at times. Also, one could  hear Paine's voice booming around the ground directing his team, whilst Marsh's body language was not one of an incumbent captain.

 Marsh was not the only former Test cricketer to fail for WA. Bancroft was also also dismissed cheaply.

The only disappointment, was no team chose a frontline spinner. In reflection WA choosing five fast bowlers, could have lost them the game. Webster bowled some tight finger spin for Tas.     

    

One lowlight this round was that we could only see two specialist spinners playing for the entire six state teams playing.

Lyon NSW , and Pope SA, were the only specialist spinners selected.

Where was Holland Victoria?

I think Swepson is in South A playing white ball cricket.

A couple of mates in TCA  Members perceive this massive problem in Aus cricket, few spinners play on  spin friendly tracks. Most seem to think we will  miraculously  do well in the Subcontinent, namely Bangladesh, when we   will play on  turning tracks.

Our batters rarely face specialist spin in the Shield and rarely on turning pitches.

Our spinners don't play much FC cricket, yet they will be expected to step up to Test cricket in unfamiliar conditions in Bangladesh.

There is so much  international cricket being played  for limited overs, or BBL, many players are hardly  playing any FC cricket in the Aus FC season. The  only current Test players playing in this current round of Shield are Burns, Head, Lyon and Paine. 

It sure was.. enthralling stuff. I can only imaging what it was like live. Was it you dressed in black looking thru the binocs DC? You have said about all there is to say... except that Tassie almost blew it by failing to dislodge Paris and Mackin earlier.
DC did I get it spot when I called for Nathan Ellis to play red ball cricket sooner rather than later. What a debut.. nine wickets and almost all were bowled, LB or in the catching cordon. Superb stuff. He is one of my stars of the round. Others are a rejuvenated Beau Webster, Trent Copeland, Cameron Green, Joel Paris and Joe Burns. A special mention to Josh Philippe who is finally discovering patience.

You heard anything from Mike? We welcomed him back here but seems he refused the offer. 

No.

Mike  has disappeared before for lengthy periods. Hope he comes back.

Quite a few others seem to have stopped posting too.

Have to try and remember what I was wearing?  

It was cool on the last two days, so I wasn't wearing the usual shorts. I did look through the binoculars quite a bit. I was with quite a few people you met.

It was incredible live, particularly when one's team won such a close, hard fought encounter.

Ellis's debut was incredible! 

The star of the round though, if not the  Shield season,  was Beau Webster IMO.

Who in the history of Aus cricket has  scored 216 runs in two innings, for only  once out, off only 205 balls in Shield history in one game?

Philippe is interesting. He is not the incumbent WA keeper, yet kept well, and batted superbly. He needs to be keeping on  a regular basis. Inglis is  considered better in WA. Philippe could move to Tas, as second keeper behind Paine, who will be away on Test duties most of the  time. With the weak Tas batting line up ATM, Philippe could bat as a specialist batter for Tas.

If they are ever all fit at the same time, WA also have to decide  amongst Marsh, Green and Stoinis as their pace bowling all rounders.

Yes.. odd nothing from KW specially. 

I think we have a game tomorrow in the Shield.

NSW v Tasmania.

The rain has belted down all day today.

Good to finally have a Blues v Tigers match.. and at Bellerive so you lucky blokes can see it live. The selectors are thinking on bowling but they continue to ignore poor batting performances and rewarding good showings in Tassie Premier League. I was looking at stats and Sean Willis and Mac Wright are both putting in solid seasons. As is a young bloke that impressed me in the U19 Nationals.. Mitchell Owen. I expect this is his first season in the top grade..

Just watching Ellis devastate a strong Blues lineup. This kid oozes confidence. Like on his debut.. all either LB, bowled or snaffled in the cordon. He sure knows how to target the stumps. Rarely does he stray from that line.  Blues selectors you let a good'n get away.. you nongs.

DC have all the other posters been mysteriously spirited away. Seems you and I are now the sole contributors. Robbie was very interested in state cricket. She left without a word. The big mystery is KW. Where are you guys and gals.. this forum is a graveyard without you..

Tas right on top! 

I am at the game live. 

Patterson looks hopelessly out of form. Neil-Smith takes the wicket of the far more solid looking Hughes, caught in slips.

NSW 2-30 after being 75 runs behind Tas on first innings.  

Sitting with Charlie Wakim’s family. 

Ellis came to Tas to join great mate, Charlie! 

We love both both players who are in form ATM. 

Bell and Rainbird enjoying bowling with Dukes ball. Ellis loves it! 

Copeland bowled much worse than last season with Dukes in this fixture. 

GOAT underbowled by NSW. 

Wakim batted well for  Tas, as did Webster. Paine really attacked. Silk, Doran both out of form, whilst McDermott was scratchy. Doolan was given out when he didn’t hit the ball. 

Many NSW supporters in TCA Members. 

Tas has many NSW players in team. 

Weather. Is freezing, so many of us have gone home. 

Abbott bowled very well with new ball -  as usual. Im
not sure but ideal he struggles with lack of stamina, or bowling with ball with less shine. 

Conway’s open chested action was okay with older ball. 

Whoever NSW Captain is, they have wasted Lyon. Arguably top spinner in world cricket bowls 8 or so overs in the innings. He bowled some quicker balls initially, but as he started to loop a few and turn them, 2nd new ball was due. This was a huge gift  to Tas! 

Best bowler to play red red ball cricket on Bellerive for the whole summer was barely bowled! 

I should also add Tas has little experience playing world class finger spin too. 

Not sure if Rainbird has a wicket yet, but he has swung it prodigiously - too much to induce edges, interspersed with some loose balls. 

Ellis took another 5 or 6 for in the first innings, whilst Bell bowled effective line and length on a pitch doing a bit. Loves the Dukes ball and Bellerive wicket, howling accurate seaming and swinging deliveries. 

After looking scratchy initially, Patterson has played some decent shots. 

Best innings so far though has been Wakim’s classy knock of 70 odd. 

Interesting to read about NSW V Tas, but is anyone at the other two Shield games? 

Hard to believe high flying Blues are struggling against Tas, who have only won two games this season. 

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with too many other Shield teams playing on drop in wickets?