Tigers clinch title
Sun, 28 February 2010
Tasmania has clinched its fourth Ford Ranger Cup crown after thumping Victoria in the 2009/10 decider by 110 runs on Sunday at the MCG, consigning the Bushrangers to the ignominy of becoming the first team in history to lose four domestic one-day finals in a row. The result also leaves Victoria's dream of becoming the first state ever to win all three domestic crowns in a season in tatters. For all the Bushrangers' recent dominance of state cricket, Tasmania's triumph means Victoria has only won three of the eight consecutive domestic finals it has now competed in. And the Tigers have beaten the Bushrangers in two of the past three Ford Ranger Cup deciders. Man-of-the-match Tim Paine and Gerard Denton were the match-winners for Tasmania, the former scored a magnificent century to help the Tigers to an imposing total of 6-304 and Denton (5-45) ripped through the Victorian top order to ensure the hosts, who were bowled out for 194, never really looked like threatening for the title. Paine couldn't have picked a better time to hit his first ton of the season and while it only included nine boundaries, it was a chanceless and match-winning knock. And Denton picked up in the second innings where Paine left off in the first, dismissing openers Chris Rogers (14), Aiden Blizzard (one) and Victoria's best batsman Brad Hodge (14) in the space of 22 balls to reduce the hosts to 3-35 and effectively assure Tasmania its third one-day title in six seasons. Denton also claimed the scalp of top-scorer Andrew McDonald (64) while Xavier Doherty was Tasmania's other multiple wicket-taker with 2-43 to be the competition's leading wicket-taker with 20
