Tasmania eye victory after making NSW follow-on

Tasmania were in a strong position to push for victory at stumps on day three of their Sheffield Shield match with New South Wales in Hobart, despite losing the entire first day to rain. Having declared overnight at 4 for 392, the Tigers skittled the Blues for 208 and enforced the follow-on, and at the close of play New South Wales were 2 for 50 in their second innings, needing another 134 to make Tasmania bat again.

Their first innings had started disastrously as Jackson Bird and Gabe Bell used the swinging conditions to Tasmania's advantage. Daniel Hughes, Nic Maddinson and Nick Larkin all fell within the first four overs, and it took the experience of Ed Cowan, batting at No.5, to steady the innings with assistance from Kurtis Patterson (22) and then Peter Nevill (38).

However, when Cowan was bowled by Bird for 67 and Nevill fell to Beau Webster in the next over, the Blues were once again wobbling at 6 for 134. Steve O'Keefe struck an unbeaten 52 to help push New South Wales up past 200, but ran out of partners. Bird struck twice early in the New South Wales second innings and at stumps, Maddinson was on 36 and Patterson had 4.