Cowan holds off Vics
Tue, 2 February 2010
Tasmanian opening batsman Ed Cowan crafted an unbeaten century as the Tigers held on for a draw in their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at Bellerive Oval on Monday. After the Bushrangers set the hosts an unlikely victory target of 276 early on Monday morning, both captains agreed to call the match a draw with 16 overs left to play with Tasmania on 5-207. The Vics looked a chance to get the required 10 wickets with fast bowler Damien Wright wreaking havoc on his former team with four wickets but Cowan ensured his side would come away with a draw after hitting an unbeaten 108 off 221 balls. He brought up 100 with one of his 16 boundaries for the innings. Luke Butterworth was the other unbeaten batsman on 19. Wright (4-42) picked up his first wicket in the ninth over when he trapped Jon Wells (14) lbw with a beautiful delivery that cut back in from outside off stump. Four overs later, Rhett Lockyear (five) was on his way back to the pavilion when he was clean bowled by Wright to leave the Tigers struggling at 2-42. The former Tiger was involved in the next wicket to fall when he combined with Jon Holland (1-63) to remove George Bailey. The Tigers skipper was on 11 when he edged an attempted drive to Wright at gully, who took an easy catch. Dan Marsh (21) looked relatively comfortable at the crease before he was undone by a leading edge that ballooned straight to David Hussey for the simplest of catches, giving Wright his third victim of the day. Wright was at it again in the 55th over when he trapped Tim Paine (20) lbw for 20 with the hosts showing no interest of chasing the required runs. After 17 wicketless overs, there was only going to one result and both captains agree to call an early finish. Earlier in the day, Tasmania needed just six overs to clean up the Bushrangers tail. Rob Quiney, who had just brought up his 150, was the first man to go when he was caught by Bailey at cover off the bowling of Brett Geeves (2-58). Quiney's superb 212-ball innings ended on 153 and featured 21 fours and one six. The next over James Pattinson (five) was bowled by Tim MacDonald (2-62) to have the Bushrangers all out for 340. Wright was named man of the match after taking seven wickets and hitting a valuable 36 in the Bushrangers' first innings. Victoria 1st innings 297 Tasmania 1st innings 262 Victoria 2nd innings Rogers c Paine b Butterworth 38 Jewell c Faulkner b Butterworth 17 Mash lbw Butterworth 0 Hussey lbw Butterworth 4 Finch c Paine b Geeves 50 Quiney c Bailey b Geeves 153 Wade lbw MacDonald 47 Hastings c Bailey b Wells 6 Wright b Fulkner 9 Pattinson b MacDonald 5 Holland not out 0 Extras: 11 (4lb, 7nb) Total: 340 (10 wickets; 90 overs) FOW: 1-52, 2-52, 3-60, 4-65, 5-163, 6-260, 7-301, 6-316, 7-301, 8-316, 9-338, 10-340 Bowling Geeves 20 - 3 - 58 - 2 (7nb) Butterworth 16 - 5 - 57 - 4 Faulkner 15 - 2 - 62 - 1 MacDonald 16 - 3 - 62 - 2 Krejza 9 - 0 - 49 - 0 Marsh 5 - 0 - 20 - 0 Wells 9 - 1 - 28 - 1 Tasmania 2nd innings Wells lbw Wright 14 Cowan not out 108 Lockyear b Wright 5 Bailey c Wright b Holland 11 Marsh c Hussey b Wright 21 Paine lbw Wright 20 not out Butterworth not out 19 Extras: 9 (4lb, 5b) Total: 207 (5 wickets, 72 overs) FOW: 1-28, 2-42, 3-71, 4-102, 5-148 Bowling Wright 21 - 8 - 42 - 4 Pattinson 16 - 6 - 35 - 0 Hastings 15 - 2 - 52 - 0 Holland 17 - 2 - 63 - 1 Hussey 3 - 1 - 6 - 0
