Tasmania’s tail-enders have helped the Tigers scrape to 9-203 at tea on the first day of the cut-throat Sheffield Shield match with Western Australia at the WACA Ground.
WA captain Michael Hussey won the toss and elected to bowl first on a green WACA wicket and despite some solid resistance with 33 from Alex Doolan and 28 from Ricky Ponting, the Warriors got well on top with the ball.
Largely through the efforts of the returning Ryan Duffield and teenage left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, WA had Tasmania 8-138.
But James Faulkner (28), Jason Krejza (36) and now Ben Hilfenhaus (18 not out) and Adam Maher (11 not out) have at least got the visitors past 200 at tea.
Tasmania’s openers Mark Cosgrove and Ben Dunk both struggled and were out for one and four early on, with Duffield picking up both their wickets in the first game the left-arm quick has been picked to play for WA this season.
The Tigers were then 2-17 when Doolan and Ponting came together, but the going was still tough with Doolan ending up bowled by Burt Cockley for 33.
George Bailey and Ponting then got Tasmania to lunch at 3-68, but WA took two quick wickets with the score on 86 to firstly have Bailey caught behind off Duffield for 18 and then Ponting in the same fashion off Michael Hogan for 28.
Jon Wells was next to go for 16 when he became Agar’s first scalp of the innings and then with Faulkner gone for 28 and Luke Butterworth for seven, WA was right on top with Tasmania 8-138.
That’s where Tasmania showed good fight, though, with Krejza smashing a quick-fire 36 before Hilfenhaus and Maher survived up until tea.
Agar has 3-42 for WA from 12 overs with Duffield picking up 3-61.
Hogan has 2-54 and Cockley 1-44.
Agar has returned from his role as an Australian squad bowler in the lead up to the Test series against India.