Redbacks take charge at Adelaide

Tasmania 319 and 3 for 35 trail South Australia 471 (Deitz 141, Ferguson 84, Blewett 62, Borgas 53, Wright 5-108) by 117 runs
Scorecard

Damien Wright was Tasmania's best bowler, taking 5 for 108 © Getty Images

South Australia seized control on their Pura Cup match against Tasmania at the Adelaide Oval. Riding on a superb 141 by Shane Deitz and some useful lower-order contributions, they made 471, a first-innings lead of 152, and then reduced Tasmania to 3 for 35 at close of play on the third day.

Resuming at their overnight score of 3 for 242, the Redbacks' fourth-wicket pair of Deitz and Callum Ferguson took the score to 327 before Deitz was finally dismissed by Graeme Wright, who ended up with fine figures of 5 for 108. Ferguson was dismissed soon after by the same bowler for 84 (5 for 340), and when Graham Manou, the captain, departed 12 runs later, Tasmania were back in the game. However, a gritty 53 by Cameron Borgas frustrated them, and with useful contributions by Daniel Cullen (28) and Shaun Tait (35), South Australia finished on 471.

Tasmania, certain to finish at the bottom of the table, then lost three wickets in the 19 overs left in the day, with Cullen, the right-arm offspinner, taking two of them. Cullen was the most successful bowler in Tasmania's first innings, taking 4 for 96, and Manou believed Cullen could well become a matchwinner for the Redbacks in the years to come. "There's not too many guys that come in and can fit in to this competition and I suppose dominate it. He is now becoming a forceful bowler and one which most sides are going to be wary of."