Story A Journey Down Under - First Innings Posted

[just_cricket]

Nice writing and presentation. South Australia are in a good position but that could all change if Tasmania can make some more inroads tomorrow and bat well.
Kiu!

 

[Chewie]

Tasmania v South Australia, Day 2, Sheffield Shield, Round 1, Adelaide

Christian and Edmondson Slay Tigers after Geeves Dismisses the Tail
October 14, 2010

South Australia 374 (Harris 89, Smith 82, Geeves 5-99), Tasmania 150/6 (Birt 55*, Christian 3-30, Edmondson 3-63)

Fresh from a good night?s sleep, the players ran out onto the field with high hopes this morning. Jamie Smith, 80* overnight, would be hoping to transform this knock into his second century through continuing the aggressive attitude he had shown the previous day. The Tasmanian fielders were warming up in anticipation of a good days play, and hopefully, some time batting in the middle shortly.

As he had on the first day, Ben Hilfenhaus steamed in and bowled a great delivery first up that Daniel Christian completely missed. The umpire judged that it would have hit middle stump and hopes were raised in the Tasmania camp of a quick rout of the tail. Shortly afterwards, a Brett Geeves delivery kissed the edge of Smith?s bat, to be caught easily by Tim Paine, the keeper. It was a great knock under pressure from Smith, helping the South Australians recover from a dismal position midway through the previous day. The new batsman in, debutant Tim Lang tried to hit out but managed only one four before falling caught and bowled by Geeves. Wickets were falling cheaply now, and Peter George soon edged a delivery from Geeves to Paine to give him his much deserved 5-wicket haul. South Australia were nine down at this point, and the Tigers were expecting to bat shortly. However, this resulted in a lack of focus by the team as Tim Ludeman and Ben Edmondson added 46 for the last wicket before Edmondson missed a straight one to be out LBW by Adam Griffith.

The start of the Tasmania innings was no better than the South Australians as Ed Cowan was LBW for 3 to Ben Edmondson. He was no doubt pumped up from his 16 runs in the first innings, almost beating his career record of 18. This brought Australian captain Ricky Ponting in and he made his intentions clear by smashing his first ball away to the boundary for 4 runs. His timing was impeccable, and it was easy to see what had made him the fantastic batsman he is today. Lunch was soon upon the batsmen, who had reached 17-1 at this point.

On the resumption of play Edmondson managed to induce an inside edge from Ponting which Ludeman was able to safely grab on to. This was a major blow for the Tasmanians, especially so early on in the innings. Edmondson was on a roll, and Mark Cosgrove and captain George Bailey, the new batsman in, decided to see out his spell before beginning a counter-attack. When Edmondson was replaced by Daniel Christian, Bailey hit his first ball for 4. However this moral victory was to be short-lived as Bailey missed a yorker on the last ball of the over to be adjudged out LBW. This decision had the coach screaming at the umpire from the sideline as he reckoned that the ball had struck outside the line. He was heard shouting ? You bloody Aussie ^&*^%$, that was clearly not out! You?re no better than that $$*(&% Wayne Barnes!?.

Cosgrove and Travis Birt decided that the best option was to take it to the bowlers and go down fighting, an honourable end, and started to up the run rate. Even the return of Edmondson didn?t faze them as Cosgrove hit seven 4s to make it to 43. At this point however, Christian returned and managed to trap Cosgrove LBW to a similar delivery as Bailey?s dismissal. This one however was right in front and there were no doubts about whether it had hit in line or not. Alex Doolan entered the middle with a lot of pressure on his young shoulders as they tried to avert worsening the disaster that had occurred in the past 30 overs. It turned out the pressure was too great as Doolan was out third ball to Edmondson, also LBW ? the fourth such decision of the match so far. Birt and vice-captain Tim Paine nutted it out to tea, playing very defensively and only hitting boundaries on extremely loose deliveries, such as one wild full toss that probably should have been called a no-ball. Tea time saw the score at 91-5, with Tasmania in dire straits.

After lunch the Tasmanian batters played as if they were already looking to make the game a draw, with the run rate hovering around 1 an over. Dan Christian made a crucial breakthrough however as Tim Paine was caught behind to a nothing delivery really. Paine poked at it and managed to make a slight contact with the ball. The tail was exposed at this point and the Tasmanian batsmen were looking at the 131 runs they required to avoid the follow on with dread. Batting extremely negatively, there was a period of time where 5 maidens were bowled in a row as the Tigers inched forward, mortally wounded. Over time the two batsmen began to feel the pace of the ball and the intricacies of the pitch better and started to open up. Consecutive fours were scored off Edmondson as the run rate started to climb. Birt reached his half century off 167 balls with a nice 4 down the ground, finishing unbeaten at the end of the day on 55*. Tasmania finished on 150-6, with Butterworth unbeaten on 18* from 75 balls. They face a hard road tomorrow with 75 runs still needed to avoid the follow on. Christian and Edmondson have been the pick of the bowlers, and they will enjoy running in at the Tasmanian tail as soon as they can. It was rather fitting that the song heard on Tasmanian Coach Jono Choie?s iPod after the match was Journey?s Don?t Stop Believin?. He will have to keep believing if his team are to have any chance of salvaging a draw in this match.

 

[Aditya]

Great presentation Jono. Geeves bowled well but still South Australia managed to make 374 which is a good 1st innings total. Poor batting from Tasmania. Seems like South Australia will get a good first innings lead. Keep up the good work with presentation Jono.

 

[Aussie Team]

OMG! Tasmania lost wickets early and I guess Paine should have opened the side with Cowan. And Your Presentation is Great

 

[Chewie]

OMG! Tasmania lost wickets early and I guess Paine should have opened the side with Cowan. And Your Presentation is Great

I think it would have been extremely tiring for Paine if he had opened as well as kept wicket.

 

[Aussie Team]

I think it would have been extremely tiring for Paine if he had opened as well as kept wicket.

Yeah! That's right. I was saying because Cosgrove is not a opening batsmen.

 

[Gaurav_7]

I told you they just pick anyone. Birt needs to bat long now and support from the other end is very much needed.

 

[Chewie]

In the game Cosgrove is an opening batsman. I thought he was one in real life too?

 

[CG123]

You guys are in real trouble here.
Good bowling from Geeves earlier on, but neither Ponting or Bailey came to the party with the bat, which was always going to put your worse doemstic players under pressure.
Lol at you shouting at the umpire, and about Wayne Barnes.
Great writing and presentation like others have said, and this has some real potential.

 

[AkshayS]

Tasmania is in trouble, they're gonna lose from now on and if they manages to draw the match, it'll be a win for them.
Bailey failed.

Great presentation JONO.

 

[Chewie]

Tasmania v South Australia, Day 3, Sheffield Shield, Round 1, Adelaide

Christian and George run through the Tasmanian Batting Lineup
October 15, 2010

South Australia 374 (Harris 89, Smith 82, Geeves 5-99), Tasmania 199 (Birt 59, Christian 6-46, Edmondson 3-82), Tasmania 156/5 (Bailey 56*, George 3-43, Edmondson 2-38)

Tasmania entered day 3 of this Sheffield Shield match with a steep path to climb if they wanted to avoid the follow on. Travis Birt and Luke Butterworth had looked reasonably stable the previous afternoon, offering few chances and would want to build on their partnership. And at first, the signs were promising. Butterworth hit a lovely straight drive down the ground, and singles were taken around the ground. However Peter George, who had not taken a wicket the previous day managed to induce an inside edge from Birt, who was caught behind. This ended his 197 ball stay at the crease and exposed the tail. Brett Geeves is not a pushover however, having a highest FC score of 99*. The new ball was taken promptly by the South Australians in the hope that this would create a chance causing the lower order to crumble. Christian was brought back into the attack and managed to bowl Butterworth in his first over.

56 runs were still required to avoid the follow on, with Tasmania only having two wickets remaining. Adam Griffith joined Geeves out in the middle but was soon caught behind as Christian’s fifth wicket in the match. Tasmania were under real pressure here to survive, and it was the general feeling that the Tasmanian openers would be batting again shortly as Ben Hilfenhaus was not world-renown for his batting ability. Realising this, Geeves decided to play his shots, and attempted to retain the strike. He played a number of beautiful shots all around the ground, including a six of Ben Edmondson, the best bowler yesterday. However, Hilfenhaus put all Geeves’ hard work to waste in attempting to fend a ball away from his stumps, top edging it to a good catch from the keeper – his fifth such catch of the innings. It was also Christian’s 6 wicket of the innings, his best FC haul to date. Tasmania were all out for 199 before lunch and were asked to follow on.

Ed Cowan and Mark Cosgrove began cautiously, trying to see the new ball off and make it to lunch unscathed. Despite a play and miss off George, they managed to do so. After lunch Cosgrove began to hit out, with neither bowler being spared, and not caring whether the ball went through the air or along the ground, while at the other end Cowan defended ever ball that came to him. Cosgrove’s aggressiveness was to be the end of him however as he tried to cover drive but missed to be out LBW to George. If it was even possible, Ponting played worse in the second innings as he was out LBW first ball to George. The hat-trick ball was defended solidly, as George Bailey echoed Cowan with his extremely mind-numbing batting. The crowd were on their feet for a moment as Cowan hit his first boundary after 75 balls, but that was to be the only entertaining piece of play before the tea break, with Tasmania being 78-2 in their second innings.

After playing and missing a delivery off George, Cowan missed the next ball as well; however this time he heard the death rattle. Travis Birt was brought in and started comparatively aggressively, hitting three 4s in his first 20 balls. He under edged a pull shot however to bring a 29 run stand to an end. Four wickets were down already and it looked all over for Tasmania, especially when Doolan edged Edmondson a few overs later. This brought captain and vice-captain together at the crease. This pairing batted well throughout the rest of the afternoon to finish the day with Tasmania on 156-5. This was still 19 runs behind South Australia’s first innings total, but at least it seemed that they had avoided the ignominy of losing by an innings.

 

 

[AkshayS]

Tassie Tigers ftl!

nothing can be happended now, Tassie has lost it.

 

[riz7khan12]

they can still salvage a draw if they bat out day 4.

 

[Viral Shah]

I think it would be a draw.

 

[Aussie Team]

Ponting fail's again! It should be going towards South Australia.