NSW and Tasmania have received an apology from the umpires in the Sheffield Shield match at Bellerive after a mistake that cost the two desperate sides crucial overs.

The competition’s experiment with twilight games descended into controversy when Tasmania’s momentum in the match was halted by a bad-light call and the teams left the ground around half an hour early.

Even with the floodlights on, the conditions were such that under the rules play could not continue.

But it turned out that the umpires applied the twilight rules incorrectly and should have added extra playing time lost from Tuesday’s rain to the earlier sessions.

The players walked off with NSW in trouble at 4-75, a lead of just 71, after Tigers allrounder James Faulkner had produced a fiery spell of 3-34.

“It’s probably going to cost us eight overs which could be important in a game like this,” Tasmanian captain George Bailey said.

“The umpires have apologised for it. To be fair, I think as a captain I probably should be aware of it too so I’m certainly not pointing the whole blame on them.” NSW captain Stephen O’Keefe, who was in the middle but still yet to score when the bad-light call came, also said the mistake was understandable.

“In the scheme of things it’s not ideal but I think as players we understand and respect the fact that everyone’s entitled to make mistakes and we do it all the time and it’s all part of the game,” he said.

Both sides are desperate for points to chase top sides Queensland and Western Australia, a fact underlined by the Tigers declaring their first innings at 7-345 on Wednesday immediately on passing NSW’s 7(dec)-341.

Faulkner then ripped through the Blues top order, removing former Test stars Usman Khawaja (14) and Steve Smith (seven) as well as first innings runmaker Ben Rohrer with a brute of a ball.

Phil Hughes’ was the other wicket to fall, the Test discard playing some cracking off-side shots in making 36 before he was caught at second slip by Luke Butterworth off Jackson Bird.

Faulkner’s efforts capped a good day for Tasmania, who claimed first innings points on the back of Bailey’s swashbuckling 117 off 140 balls.

O’Keefe, who said his side would aim for a lead of 200-plus, was unsure whether injured former skipper Simon Katich would bat, meaning the Blues could effectively be five down.

“He did take a 130km mallet to the forehead so it might be a little bit difficult for him,” O’Keefe said.