Tasmania have pulled off the best profitable run chase of their Sheffield Shield historical past in a memorable three-wicket conquer Queensland.
Set 432 to win, the Tigers secured the victory with simply 10 balls left in an exhilarating conclusion to the match at Blundstone Oval in Hobart on Sunday.
Unheralded tailenders Bradley Hope (48 no) and Jarrod Freeman (47 no) added an unbeaten 75-run eighth-wicket partnership to information Tasmania to their second win of the season.
Freeman smashed an enormous six off former Tasmanian Gurinder Sandhu to finish the chase within the penultimate over.
“I’ve never heard him (Hope) scream like that at the end there,” Freeman stated.
“He’s (Hope) pretty pumped. That’s pretty special.
“I type of thought if fielders are up straight, I’m going to attempt to get it (for six) and fortunately sufficient I did. How good?”
The run chase tops Tasmania’s previous best in a winning cause when David Boon’s 152 propelled them 6-402 against Western Australia at the WACA in March, 1996.
It was also the sixth-highest chase in the history of the Shield, which started in 1892-93, and the best since Queensland hit 5-471 to beat South Australia in 2014.
Starting the day at 2-88, Tasmania looked no chance of winning until Matthew Wade and Beau Webster came together at 4-158.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Wade carved out an impressive 105 for his 19th first-class century to boost the Tigers’ chances.
Together with Webster (70), the pair put on a 164-run partnership before Wade was lbw to Queensland spinner Mitchell Swepson.
Star allrounder Michael Neser, who missed day two after flying home to Brisbane for personal reasons, looked to have sunk Tasmania when he bowled Webster.
But Hope, whose best score in five previous first-class matches was 27 not out, looked assured at the crease with the big-hitting Freeman.
The Bulls go to 1-2, after opening their account for the season with a convincing victory over Victoria last week.
“We could not include them,” Queensland coach Wade Seccombe said.
“I feel that is one factor we may look again on and replicate and say there have been moments within the sport the place we may have managed the scoreboard a little bit bit higher.
“If we hadn’t done that it would have put a bit more pressure on the way they went about their scoring, but credit to them, they didn’t allow it.”
ShieShiel
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
