Tasmanian paceman Jackson Bird has emphatically staked his claim to be the injured James Pattinson’s Test replacement with a career-best haul against Western Australia.
Bird grabbed 6-25 from 13.3 impressive overs, bettering his previous best of 6-62, as the Warriors were skittled for just 67 on day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Bellerive.
Last season’s Shield player of the year is now the competition’s leading wicket-taker this campaign with 25 at an average of 19.76.
Bird outshone former international cricketer of the year Mitchell Johnson, who has been touted as a possible replacement for Pattinson but who finished with figures of 0-50 from 12 overs in Hobart.
Pace spearhead Pattinson has been ruled out of Australia’s remaining four Tests with a rib injury, including the third Test against South Africa beginning.
At stumps, the Tigers were cruising at 2-201, a lead of 134 with Ben Dunk unbeaten on 71 and George Bailey 42.
WA spinner Michael Beer has 2-39 from his 16 overs.
Bird had been struggling to recapture the form that earned him 53 wickets at 16 in his debut season in losses to South Australia and Queensland on Bellerive green-tops.
But on a drier-looking wicket on Sunday, the 25-year-old fast-medium exponent extracted more bounce and swing as WA made the third-lowest Shield total ever at Bellerive.
Johnson has 13 wickets this season at over 30 but the 31-year-old has the experience of 190 Test wickets from 47 matches.
The left-armer was replaced after an erratic first two overs cost 14 runs but generated good pace when he returned.
Tasmania made a mockery of WA’s total, which bettered only NSW in 2006-07 (53) and South Australia (55) in 2010-11 at Bellerive, after visiting captain Adam Voges had won the toss and batted.
Only Marcus Harris (21) and former Test batsman Shaun Marsh (11) reached double figures in the Warriors’ sixth worst Shield score and Justin Langer’s first as coach.
A quickfire 42 off just 30 balls from Tigers opener Mark Cosgrove got his side off to a bright start before Alex Doolan and Dunk put on 74.
Doolan was bowled by Beer for 42 at 2-130 before Dunk and Bailey put on 71 for the third wicket.