... and Bailey hits Tas ton

WHILE Matthew Wade and Glenn Maxwell stole the limelight yesterday by failing with the bat, Tasmanians George Bailey and Gabe Bell hit top form for the Tigers on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria.

After Tasmania was again dismissed cheaply — despite Bailey’s heroic hundred — events took an unexpected turn in the final session with Tassie right-arm quick Gabe Bell ripping through Victoria’s top order to leave them reeling at 4-25 off six overs. Marcus Harris (61) and Daniel Christian (28) then steadied the ship with an unbeaten 78-run stand as Victoria went to stumps at 4-103.

Playing in just his fourth first-class game, 22year-old Bell had Maxwell (four) caught behind attempting to drive a delivery that swung away from the right-hander.

Test batsman Peter Handscomb, caught at second slip, and Aaron Finch, trapped lbw, both made ducks as Bell (4-22) claimed wickets from each of his first three overs.

Skipper Bailey earlier made a gallant 106 but was one of only three Tigers batsmen to reach double figures.

Wade fell in the third over after lunch yesterday attempting to play a pull shot to a Peter Siddle delivery that pitched on middle and off and rocketed into his stumps. His rash dismissal was the latest in a series of poor batting performances that do not bode well for his Ashes prospects.

“I thought Scotty Boland just bowled a really good spell to him [before lunch] and gave him nothing,” Bailey said of Wade. “Coming out after lunch, you’d like something to get you going and you’ve got Peter Siddle, who’s pretty miserly as well. No doubt that dot-ball pressure built on him. The shot he played probably wasn’t there.”