Tasmania to focus on driving home positions of dominance after 2020-21 season ends with a hiding

Tasmania has ended another domestic cricket season without any silverware and while there were several impressive individual campaigns, the team must learn to capitalise from strong positions.

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CASHING in on positions of dominance will be a “skill set” Tasmania will address leading into next summer after its 2020-21 season crashed to an inglorious end in Western Australia.

The Tigers could have reached the 50-over final against NSW on Sunday had they defeated the Warriors and picked up a bonus point in their clash on Thursday.

However, having been set a target of 308 in 40 overs to achieve the feat, the Tigers were skittled for 148, never in the hunt after losing Ben McDermott for a golden duck and slumping to 5-70 in the 12th over.

Ben McDermott and Sam Rainbird look on from the players’ rooms during the match against Western Australia. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

It completed a frustrating campaign for the state, which failed to reach the finals in all three formats despite — especially earlier in the season in the Sheffield Shield — being in commanding positions on several occasions.

“It’s something we spoke about both after the Shield and one-day game here, we reflected back on the hub in Adelaide which feels like a long time ago,” coach Jeff Vaughan said.

“It feels like every game there has been opportunities for us to either stay in games or win games, and it is certainly an area we need to discuss and improve on.

“That comes down to the way we train and prepare as well.

Jordan Silk leaves the field after being dismissed during Thursday’s one-day loss to Western Australia. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

“A lot of it will be individualised, if you’re batting it is you and one other person with you so

a) it’s acknowledging the situation of the game, and b) having the intestinal fortitude to maintain consistency to what you’ve been doing to give yourself success.

“It will be a question for each individual whether we are able to do that for long enough and we will keep developing those skill sets as much as we do any physical and tactical skill sets.”

Beau Webster was the best of Tasmania’s batsmen in the Marsh One Day Cup match against. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Although the season finished with no team success, there was a host of promising individual highlights, which bodes well for the future.

Caleb Jewell’s emergence in both one-day and Shield formats was a credit to his hard work in grade cricket, Jake Doran cracked two first-class centuries to finish as the Tigers’ leading run scorer (615 at 43.9), Beau Webster continues to evolve into a genuine all-rounder while spinner Jarrod Freeman took 12 wickets in four Shield games after the Big Bash to underline his potential.

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