Tassie top table after blitzing WA

CRICKET: Tasmania has thrashed an inexperienced Western Australia by an innings and 87 runs in their Sheffield Shield match at Bellerive Oval.

Tigers skipper George Bailey lauded his young pace battery after they wrapped up victory before lunch on day three.

The Warriors were dismissed for 277 after they were forced to follow on.

Tasmania allrounder Tom Rogers (3-46) ran through the tail, after taking 4-9 from three overs in WA’s first innings and hitting a valuable 48 with the bat.

“He’s a captain’s dream and always has a real crack. He has a real knack of taking wickets,” Bailey said of the 23-year-old.

Missing eight players to Australia T20 or Test squad duty, the Warriors were skittled for just 67 on day two with the Tigers’ attack near unplayable under overcast Hobart skies.

Bailey praised his attack for sharing the load in the absence of injured spearhead Jackson Bird.

“A lot of the younger ones will take a lot of confidence out of it,” he said.

After being sent in to bat, Tasmania posted 9(dec)-431, headlined by a dogged century from dumped Test wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.

“His innings I thought was very special,” Bailey said. “He’d been really patient and put in the hard yards and deserved to get three figures.”

The result sent Tasmania top of the Shield table, with the two other round seven matches still to finish.

A patient debut century from rookie Will Pucovski held Victoria’s innings together on day three against Queensland at the MCG.

The 20-year-old rising star made 188 from 414 balls before the Bushrangers eventually declared at 9-436 – 16 runs behind the Bulls’ first innings.

Rookie South Australia medium-pacer Nick Winter collected his second five-wicket haul in a matter of days as New South Wales crumbled during the middle session at the SCG to leave the Redbacks with a victory target of 189.