O’Neill takes 3/17 and scores 44 as Victoria set Tasmania a 325-run target; Tigers end Day 2 on 47/0 needing 278 more runs

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Tasmania kept their hopes of reaching the Sheffield Shield final alive after a dramatic second day against Victoria at Bellerive Oval. Despite being bowled out for just 91 in their first innings, Tasmania finished the day strongly at 47 for 0 while chasing a challenging target of 325.

Openers Caleb Jewell (24*) and Mac Wright (15*) ensured the Tigers ended the day without losing a wicket. Tasmania now need another 278 runs to secure a crucial victory that could keep them in contention for the Sheffield Shield final.

The match saw 16 wickets fall across the day, beginning with Tasmania’s collapse early in the morning session. Resuming at 4 for 52, Tasmania quickly lost momentum and were bundled out for 91 after losing 5 wickets for just 23 runs.

Victoria’s pace attack led the charge, with Fergus O’Neill delivering an outstanding spell of 3 for 17, while Sam Elliott supported him with 3 for 22. Elliott started the collapse by trapping Charlie Wakim lbw for 15 before O’Neill dismissed Australian Test allrounder Beau Webster with a delivery that edged onto the stumps.

Australia spinner Matt Kuhnemann, who was sent in as a nightwatcher the previous evening, top-scored for Tasmania with 23. However, his innings ended controversially when he was given out caught behind despite the ball appearing to strike his back leg.

Victoria themselves struggled with the bat in their second innings. Leading Sheffield Shield run-scorer Sam Harper was dismissed for a duck in just the second over, a surprising outcome after his impressive 93 on day one.

Wickets continued to fall regularly for Victoria, with Peter Handscomb providing the only real resistance among the top order. Handscomb scored a fighting 47 and shared a crucial 50-run partnership with O’Neill, who added valuable runs with a knock of 44 before Victoria were eventually bowled out for 193.

Tasmania’s bowlers played a key role in restricting Victoria. Gabe Bell finished with 3 for 40, including the wickets of Victoria’s top three batters, while Beau Webster contributed with figures of 3 for 25.

Speaking after the day’s play, Bell emphasized the importance of the final session.
“That last hour was crucial and being none down at stumps. We think the pitch is only going to get better as the game goes on,” he said.

“If we can get through to lunch with minimal damage, we’ll have a fair bit of confidence going into the back end of the day.”

Victoria, who currently sit at the top of the Sheffield Shield table, have already secured their place in the final. However, a loss in this penultimate round could seriously impact fourth-placed Tasmania’s chances of qualifying.

Queensland, South Australia, and New South Wales remain in contention for the remaining spot in the Sheffield Shield final, making Tasmania’s chase on the final day even more crucial.