Pura Cup: New South Wales v Tasmania at Sydney, 17-20 Oct 2001 CricInfo Live Report

Pura Cup: New South Wales v Tasmania at Sydney, 17-20 Oct 2001
John Polack

Tasmania 2nd innings: Lunch - Day 4, Tea - Day 4, Stumps - Day 4,
Live Reports from previous days

PONTING, COX, WATSON PROLONG RUN-FEST

Tasmanian captain Ricky Ponting used it as an opportunity to make history. And Jamie Cox used it as another chance to continue banging down the door for Australian selection.

But it has to be said that the fourth and final day of this Pura Cup match between New South Wales and Tasmania otherwise carried something of an air of uselessness as it inexorably resulted in a high-scoring draw.

Ponting celebrated a cool but sunny day here at the Sydney Cricket Ground by scoring twin centuries in a match for the fifth time in his first-class career. In so doing, he became the first Australian to achieve the feat as many times, snatching for himself a record that he had previously shared with Sir Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Stuart Law and Cox himself.

Though it was only constructed before a small crowd - herded into a tiny section of the ground - his 154 was a masterpiece in concentration and execution.

His strokeplay was just as effortless, in fact, as it had been in his first innings contribution of 126. Other than for a tired, top edged pull that finally brought about his undoing, the only real hint of a false stroke came with his score at 55 as he was nearly caught behind fiddling at a delivery down the leg side from left arm spinner Mark Higgs (0/46).

Cox's score of 80 also came from another fine innings, though it was a little rusty at times by his own high standards. He was dropped twice and played and missed more than once outside the line of off stump. The almost inevitable outcome was yet another big score against an opponent that he has grown to love.

Captains old and new complemented a 77-run stand for the opening wicket between Cox and Dene Hills (32) by forging another 127-run union for the second to ensure that Tasmania's progression to a finishing score of 3/356 was always going to be smooth.

Though the only sting left in the game by now was the one coming from the howling southerly wind ripping across the ground, there was time enough for Shane Watson (58*) to bat attractively and for Don Nash (2/62) to grab his first two wickets of the match. But there was no confusion by then that proceedings would be called off half an hour early.

"We knew this morning that we had to go out there and bowl them out," lamented New South Wales captain Shane Lee.

"I thought that if we could have got one or two quick wickets - particularly get Cox out and Ponting - anything was a chance. Unfortunately, that just didn't happen.

"We've got to lift a lot for our next game. We dropped five catches overall and that's too much in a first-class game. We definitely paid for that."

Where Ponting's batting was encouraging for Australian followers ahead of the opening Test against New Zealand on 8 November, the bowling of paceman Glenn McGrath (1/35) would also have heartened those close to the team. Though he only claimed the wicket of Hills - to a dubious lbw decision - his line and length was generally impeccable and he looked to be returning to something approaching his best.

At the end of a frustrating week, leg spinner Stuart MacGill (0/88) also bowled tidily. His figures would have been substantially improved if Michael Bevan had not spilled a mistimed cut by Cox (then on 27) or if he had held a sharp, low caught and bowled chance offered by the same batsman two runs later.

PONTING CONTINUES TO INDULGE IN RUN FEAST

Jamie Cox has been dismissed, but Ricky Ponting's progress toward twin centuries continues unimpeded as the Pura Cup match between New South Wales and Tasmania wends its way toward an early conclusion here at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.

At tea on the fourth and final day, the Tasmanians are placed at 2/248, with Ponting (92*) having slammed 70 of the 136 runs added for the loss of just Cox's wicket in that session.

That setback for the Tigers arrived after another unflinching 259 minutes at the crease from their ever-dependable opener. He was surprised by a delivery from Don Nash (1/28) that both seamed and lifted sharply from just short of a length, gloving a catch to substitute wicketkeeper Greg Mail as he attempted to defend.

Otherwise, though, this has been a session enlivened only by the batting of Ponting. His strokeplay has been as effortless as it was in the first innings and the only real hint of a false stroke came with his score at 55 as he fiddled at - and was nearly caught behind from - a delivery down the leg side from left arm spinner Mark Higgs (0/12).

After a slightly nervous beginning, young all-rounder Shane Watson (23*) has also played some characteristically flowing strokes in his short time at the crease. One thumping pull off the bowling of Glenn McGrath (1/35) was matched by the glorious dispatch of a MacGill full toss over the mid wicket boundary for six, and he has also been solid in defence. Albeit that he may have been lucky to survive the prospect of a king pair when he survived a beseeching lbw appeal against an inswinging delivery from Nash.

TIGERS' UPPER ORDER TAKES MATCH CLOSER TO DRAW

Tasmania's upper order is continuing its excellent exhibition in this Pura Cup match against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground. But it has been a rather uninspiring morning of play on the fourth day nonetheless, as the game meanders toward what almost certainly looms as a draw.

At lunch, the Tigers are at 1/112 in their second innings and they duly now hold an overall advantage of 127 runs.

In the main, this position has been due to the continued fine form of openers Jamie Cox (54*) and Dene Hills (32) whose concentrated accumulation of a 77-run stand for the opening wicket gave every indication that the visitors will be content simply to bat this game out. Ricky Ponting (22*) has also looked perfectly happy to settle in for a long innings.

New South Wales' lot, by contrast, might have improved if two catches had not been grassed early in the day's play. Michael Bevan was the first offender, spilling a straight forward chance at point as Cox (then on 27) mistimed a cut at Stuart MacGill (0/48). And then MacGill himself offered another Cox (on 29) another life when he grassed a very firmly hit, low straight drive.

In the midst of an excellent and occasionally unlucky spell, pace bowler Glenn McGrath (1/25) was the man who finally made the breakthrough. He trapped Hills lbw and claimed his 600th first-class wicket in the process, though it looked a generous decision from Umpire Darrell Hair given that he had delivered the ball from wide on the crease and it consequently appeared to be arrowing past leg stump.

Surprisingly, captain Shane Lee has again opted not to utilise first innings destroyer Stuart Clark as one of his frontline options in the morning session, using each of five other bowlers in preference.

Cox, all the while, has played a slightly scratchy innings by his own standards. But there have still been several lovely shots and another unbeaten half-century can not do any harm to his mounting claims on a Test berth.