Sheffield Shield: Shaun Marsh and Hilton Cartwright star for Western Australia against Tasmania
ASHES Test hopefuls Shaun Marsh and Hilton Cartwright helped to dominate Tasmania on the first day of the Sheffield Shield day/night match in Perth.
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TASMANIA fought back in the evening session on first day of their Sheffield Shield day/night match against Western Australia in Perth.
The Warriors finished the first day 7-285 after rain delayed the start. Nathan Coulter-Nile (36 not out) and Jhye Richardson (nine not out) banded together to keep the Tigers at bay in the last half-hour before stumps. Western Australia’s Ashes Test hopefuls Shaun Marsh (63), Hilton Cartwright (61) and Mitch Marsh (36) were all among the runs.
Marcus Stoinis however only managed to score nine runs before being caught by Alex Doolan at mid-wicket. One of Tasmania’s Test hopefuls, Jackson Bird (2-46) bowled well in his return game from a hamstring strain and picked up both of his two wickets in the night session.
With only two wickets falling in the first two sessions it looked like the Warriors would dominate late into the night, however the ball moved enough under the lights to cause some chaos for the middle-order batsmen. Sam Rainbird (2-73) captured the wickets of Cartwright and Ashton Turner (32) leg before wicket.
Mitch Marsh capitalised on overpitched bowling from Rainbird with two dashing fours’ though was caught behind off Bird when he edged to keeper Matthew Wade. Gabe Bell (2-68) chimed in and claimed his second wicket when he had Josh Inglis clean bowled for a sixth-ball duck.
Coulter-Nile and Turner led a Warriors’ late night revival with a handy 41-run seventh wicket partnership.
Earlier, Bell made the perfect start to his maiden WACA Ground game, bowling Cameron Bancroft (18) with his second delivery.
The partnership between Cartwright and Shaun Marsh blossomed in the twilight session, sharing a valuable 111-run second wicket stand.
Bird went close three times to snaring Shaun Marsh lbw during his innings, twice in the shortened first session.
Marsh raised his bat for his 30th first-class fifty for Western Australia, from 110 balls with eight fours. Cartwright followed in the next over with his eighth first-class fifty for the Warriors.
Marsh was caught at fine leg by Rainbird while hooking a Fekete (1-79) short ball 10 minutes before the dinner break.
Friday’s second day is now scheduled to start 45 minutes earlier at 1:15pm local time.