TIGERS’ BEST WIN IN AGES

TASMANIA has produced its best all-round cricketing performance in the Adam Griffith era and possibly its most dominant since winning the Sheffield Shield five seasons ago in dismantling NSW inside three days.

The Tigers controlled the contest from the opening over on Monday — after losing all of day one to rain — to eventually win by 10 wickets.

It was the first time the state had registered consecutive victories since March 2013 and the result rocketed the squad into the top three on the Shield table heading into the break for the Big Bash League season.

After being sent in, the home state piled on 4-392 declared on the back of Jordan Silk’s first century in four years, before the bowling unit ran through the Blues twice after the visitors were forced to follow on.

Griffith said the first session of the match set the game up, where Silk and Alex Doolan reached lunch unscathed on a pitch offering plenty of assistance to the bowlers.

“For Alex Doolan and Jordan Silk to get through that first session none down was very impressive, and probably the best batting I’ve seen from this group since I have been here,” he said. “We have done a lot of work in the last month on our defensive work and defensive mechanisms with our batting group and that showed on day one.

“The fact the ball was nipping around as much as it was, but we could get through, that gives a real clear indicator that the batting group is on the right track.”

NSW started the final day 2-50 but was quickly put on the back foot by Jackson Bird (4-40), who removed Nic Maddison and Ed Cowan in consecutive overs to expose the middle order.

Tom Rogers (3-32) and Sam Rainbird (2-30) pushed the side to the brink of victory just before lunch, before Silk became the unlikely hero with the ball to deliver the knockout blow.

Peter Nevill (70) and Doug Bollinger (26) frustrated the Tigers for 90 minutes and 23 overs with a ninth-wicket partnership until Silk was thrown the ball and snared his maiden first-class wicket with a superb return catch from a Nevill leading edge.

“There are still moments where we sit back and think we can do things a lot better, but like I have said all along the boys are learning at a quicker rate than I thought they would,” said coach Griffith.

“They are developing quicker than I thought they would, but there is still some work to be done.

“This is a real good reward for the work they are doing. I think we are probably into the corner now, I’m not so sure we have turned it yet.”