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Davison scores a century in first-class debut for NSW
SYDNEY: Australian indoor
cricketer Rodney Davison hit a
debut 100 at the Sydney Cricket
Ground yesterday as NSW
wrested control of the Sheffield
Shield match from Tasmania.
Davison, 24, played every shot
in the book to end the third day
unbeaten on 114, having put
NSW in a great position to press
for outright victory.
At stumps, the Blues were
4-231 in their second innings, an
over-all lead of 241 runs, with
Adam Gilchrist on 15.
Veteran off spinner Greg Mat
thews took 7-99 earlier from a
marathon 50.5 overs as Tasmania
crumbled to be all out for 343, 10
runs shy of NSW's 5(dec)-353 on
Thursday.
Davison became NSW's 19th
player (o score 100 on first-class
debut, the previous being Wayne
Seabrook's 165 against Victoria
at the Meelbourne Cricket
Ground in 1984-85.
Queenslander Matthew Hay
den was the last Australian to
achieve the feat with his 149
against South Australia in Bris
bane two years ago.
Former Test all-rounder Gary
Gilmour was the last NSW bats
man to notch the feat at the SCG
when he hit 122 against South
Australia in 1971-72.
"I told myself to tighten up a
bit because I should have had a
hundred in the first innings but
got carried away and played a
bad shot," Davison said.
"I felt a fair bit of responsibili
ty when we lost the first couple of
wickets cheaply. I still try to play
straight in indoor cricket because
at the top level if you play across
the line you get out."
He reached the three figures in
209 minutes with his 10th four, a
pull shot from medium paccr Mi
chael DiVenuto.
With Matthews, he put on a
valuable 98 runs for the fourth
wicket in 92 minutes, his senior
partner's contribution being 40
and some aggressive running.
NSW captain Phil Emery said
he wanted to give his bowlers as
much time as possible today to
dismiss Tasmania a second time.
He also regretted his oppo
nents' slow batting yesterday.
"We don't expect anything
from the other team but when the
game has been opened up and
their sole purpose seems to be
first-innings points, you are not
really doing yourself a chance of
getting six points," he said.
"If they want to get an outright
result then they have to back
themselves."
However, Tasmanian captain
Rod Tucker said Emery's argu
ment was fairly ordinary.
"If we'd scored quickly and
then they'd set us 350 on the last
day, only one team can win the
match," he said.
"We were doing the best we
could; I thought NSW bowled
pretty well, and the game is still
set up for outright victory."
The visitors resumed at 6-274
and, hell-bent on turning the
match into a first-innings contest,
scratched 67 runs from the morn
ing session for the loss of three
wickets.
Speedster Wayne Holdsworth
trapped wicket-keeper Mark At
kinson leg before wicket. Greg
Matthews did likewise to Chris
Matthews and then had Steve
Herzberg caught at bat-pad to
leave a lunch score of 9-341.
The innings was over five balls
after lunch when last man Mark
Ridgway edged a catch to wicket
keeper Phil Emery.
It was the 19th time Gerg
Matthews had taken five wickets
or more in an innings in first
class cricket and put the 33-year
old five scalps away from drawing
level with Arthur Mailey's sec
ond-placed haul of 334 for NSW.
All-rounder Shaun Young re
mained not-out 52, having
brought up his half century with
a six off leg spinner Adrian
Tucker.
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