Victoria have secured their first outright points of the Bupa Sheffield Shield season with a rousing 55-run win against defending champions Tasmania in Hobart on Monday.
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Victoria have secured their first outright points of the Bupa Sheffield Shield season with a rousing 55-run win against defending champions Tasmania in Hobart on Monday.
The Tigers appeared dead and buried after being bowled out for 235 in the first innings, 127 behind Victoria's 362.
But Tassie stormed back into the match on Sunday after Victoria's second innings only yielded 190, leaving the hosts 295 runs behind heading into the last day after progressing to 0-23 at stumps.
The Tigers were on track for victory at 2-117 midway through the second session, but wickets to speedster Jayde Herrick just before tea left them wounded and the Bushrangers seized their chance, eventually seal a dramatic victory, dismissing Tasmania for 235 with less than three overs to play.
Herrick stood up when the match was in the balance and finished with 3-44, including the valuable scalp of Tigers skipper George Bailey, LBW for five.
Leg-spinner Glenn Maxwell also impressed, removing Tasmania's top three batsmen on his way to figures of 3-36.
Careful opener Steve Cazzulino top scored for the Tigers but fell short of a century when Maxwell struck him low on the pad while on 95.
Tasmania needed 156 from the last session with five wickets in hand and a 53-run stand between Cazzulino and Luke Butterworth provided plenty of hope.
However the loss of Cazzulino, followed by all-rounder James Faulkner, who was out LBW to Herrick for 44, crippled their chances.
With the Tigers in survival mode playing for a draw, James Pattinson (3-54) cleaned up the tail with the wickets of Butterworth (30), wicket keeper Brady Jones (zero) and Ben Hilfenhaus (four), leaving Xavier Doherty not out five with 16 balls to go.
Matthew Wade was man of the match for his first-innings knock of 108 and his 80 on Sunday to set up the win.
The victory boosts the Bushrangers to equal second on the table, level on eight points with Western Australia.
The Vics will be back in action on Friday when they host the Warriors at the MCG starting Friday while Tasmania's next Shield match is against South Australia at Blundstone Arena from November 15 to 18.
