'One of the great fighters': Forgotten Shield Final heroes

2012 Sheffield Shield final

Tasmania 241 (Cazzulino 68; McDermott 6-54) & 167 (Cowan 71; Hopes 5-61) def by Queensland 276 (Hartley 111, Hopes 58) & 7-133 (Magoffin 26*, Hartley 19*) by three wickets

The player

"He's one of those great fighters in cricket," says Tasmania's Luke Butterworth, who Chris Hartley faced in two Sheffield Shield finals.

"He's never going to give his wicket up cheaply and you really had to work for it."

Hartley was thrown into the deep end; his third first-class match was a Sheffield Shield decider, which the Bulls lost heavily to Victoria in the 2003-04 summer.

The 'keeper-batsman described that match as a "massive learning curve" and by the time he got to the 2011-12 final as a 28-year-old, he had three final losses and a solitary victory to his name.

The context

Queensland were sick of being the bridesmaids. In the previous nine seasons, they'd featured in six Shield finals and lost all but one – six years earlier in 2005-06.

Only Hartley and new captain James Hopes remained from that win and the fresh squad had a chance to make history.

The Bulls finished on top of the 2011-12 Sheffield Shield and were to host Tasmania at the Gabba. Grey clouds had been a constant in Brisbane in the lead-up and scattered showers were forecast for the five days of play.

And Hartley wasn't in peak condition as the bout got underway.

"'Harts' was really ill during that game," teammate Steve Magoffin remembers. 

"I didn't even know how sick he was because I was too concerned with the fact I couldn't get myself out of bed because my back was stuffed.

"They're probably looking at us, thinking, hang on a minute, we're not good here. And it was a real hard slog initially." 

The moment

"Most games over four or five days, the momentum shifts a few times. This game it just seemed to shift every half an hour," Hartley says.

"It was an incredible game. It would've been a good wicket if we had sunshine, but we had quite a lot of overcast conditions and that just kept the bowlers in it for longer. Everyone was just tense the whole time."

After winning the toss and batting, Tasmania failed to capitalise and lost their last nine wickets for 103. Their total of 241 wasn't outstanding but with the cloud cover refusing to budge around Brisbane, it was a solid score.

Not long into the Bulls reply, things went pear-shaped for the home side. Hartley strolled out to join Hopes with the score at 5-55, staring down the barrel of an embarrassing first-innings deficit.

"I always really enjoyed those moments – when your team's in trouble and you've got to find a way to turn the game around," he says. "That sort of situation was one I felt very comfortable with."

But it was almost over in a flash. Butterworth and James Faulkner were on fire with the ball and it wasn't long before one found the edge of Hartley's bat.

"We dropped a catch in slips with him (Hartley) on eight," recalls Butterworth.

"We knew he was a good player, but he'd always give us a chance early. That was the key moment where we thought, 'that might have just cost us', and it probably ended up costing us the game."

The performance

Hartley's recovery effort with Hopes began to take shape as the Bulls skipper took the attack to the Tasmanian bowlers.

"Hopesy actually played a really important knock there because he actually took the Tasmanian bowlers on," Hartley says. "I rode the wave of that – he was the one that halted their momentum."

But when Hopes fell lbw to Jackson Bird for 58 early on day three, it was left to Hartley, on 31 not out, and the tail.

Forging important partnerships with Ryan Harris and Magoffin, Hartley reached a century he classifies as one of his best.

"It has to be up there because it was a Sheffield Shield final and with those innings, there's no next week, so they're vital for your team in terms of shaping the game," he says.

"I loved playing in those situations where the opponent is on top and coming hard at you, so it was right up there."

Hartley's knock of 111, which came off 169 balls and included 17 fours, meant Queensland took a crucial 35-run first-innings lead.

The Hartley-Magoffin stand in particular, worth 97 runs, saw the home side take the lead after looking almost certain to fall to a first-innings deficit. 

"The partnership in the first innings ... it just started to naturally develop during that innings," Magoffin says.

"When I went in, we didn't set down any market to say we've got to make sure we get a lead now.

"We're already behind by 100 so we just wanted to make sure we did our basics right. And he really guided me through my innings.

"He just made sure it was really simple. And as long as I was soaking up balls from one end, he was able to expand his game from the other.

"And it was amazing 100 that he got, it actually gave us a chance in the game."

Hopes and Harris did most of the damage with the ball in the second innings to ensure the Bulls were chasing only 133 to win, but Hartley was in far worse shape on day four than he was at the beginning of the match.

"I actually had a bit of a virus," he confirms. "I did enough to get through their innings physically and then it was a case of go and have a bit of a rest in the dressing room and try and lay low for a bit.

"From memory, our openers got us off to a good start and I remembered thinking, 'OK, another good hour or two like that and we'll be sweet'. But it actually went the other way."

From 2-82, Queensland lost 5-5 in the space of seven overs, with 45 runs still required.

"All of a sudden it just went bang, bang, bang and I was suddenly padding up and ready to go," Hartley says.

"I probably wasn't so nervous and then suddenly I was out in the middle. The Tassies were on fire, they were up and about, there was huge energy and I went, 'Oh, it's on!' It was the crunch time. That's when the pressure really lit up."

"It was carnage in the changing room, trying to find pads and gloves and all sorts of stuff," Magoffin recalls. 

"We had a day and a half to get 45 runs, and no matter how long it took, and we just made sure we kept the good ones out."

A few "half chances and missed chances" later, Queensland got within touching distance. Magoffin hit the winning runs and Queensland prevailed in one of the closest finals in recent history.

"'Maggs' played an unbelievable innings," Hartley says. "I remember the feeling of the emotional release of that tension when he did play the shot and it went through and we realised it was all over – the tension was incredible."

The aftermath

"The dressing room itself became a big party," Hartley recalls fondly. 

"Sometimes good seasons aren't rewarded with the silverware but on this occasion we were and everyone enjoyed the moment."

"It was a great night," Magoffin concurs. "(The) best moment of my cricketing career, to be honest." 

Hartley was named Player of the Match for his 111 and unbeaten 19 while Magoffin was a clear second best with his contributions of 31 and 26 with the bat and 2-31 and 1-13 with the ball.