New South Wales and Tasmania have shared the honours on day one of the Bupa Sheffield Shield clash at Canberra's Manuka Oval after the Tigers progressed to 6-267 at stumps.
New South Wales and Tasmania have shared the honours on day one of the Bupa Sheffield Shield clash at Canberra's Manuka Oval after the Tigers progressed to 6-267 at stumps.
Alex Doolan (82) and Ed Cowan (65) both struck half-centuries for the visitors after skipper George Bailey won the toss and elected to bat in overcast conditions.
Josh Lalor (3-62) was the pick of the Blues bowlers after removing Cowan, Bailey (18) and Mark Cosgrove (10) in the middle session to reduce the Tigers to 4-160 at tea.
A valuable 97-run stand between Doolan and James Faulkner steered the visitors into a strong position late in the day before young-gun Josh Hazlewood (2-49) removed both batsman to steal the momentum.
Nathan Hauritz was the other wicket taker, removing Steven Cazzulino (24) in the opening session to finish with figures of 1-60 off 20 overs in his first four-day game of the season.
The Tigers made a bright start to the day as Cowan and Cazzulino put on a 67-run opening stand before Cazzulino was caught at short-leg by Phil Jaques off Hauritz just before lunch.
Cowan, fresh from a century for Australia A in the tour match against New Zealand, was in ominous form before his innings was cut short by Lalor.
He blasted eight boundaries in the morning session and added three more at the resumption, including a powerful cut shot to reach his half century before he was adjudged lbw.
Bailey became Lalor's next victim when he feathered an edge through to Peter Nevill behind the stumps.
Cosgrove made a promising start with two early boundaries before he was trapped lbw by the fired-up Lalor to leave the visitors in a precarious position at tea.
Having batted conservatively throughout the entire middle session, Doolan went on a boundary blitz after tea before he was trapped lbw by Hazlewood with his century in sight.
Faulkner became the fourth Tigers batsman adjudged lbw soon after to give Hazlewood his second and final wicket of the day.
