JLT Cup Final: Tasmania and Victoria to lock horns against each other

JLT Cup Final: Tasmania and Victoria have qualified for the final of the JLT Cup to be played on October 10.

After Victoria beat Western Australia by 63 runs in the second semi-final of the ongoing JLT Cup at Junction Oval earlier today, it was clear that Victoria and Tasmania will lock horns in the final of the tournament. The final will be played on October 10 at the same venue.

Victoria’s victory ended Western Australia’s unbeaten spree in the tourney. Having won all their five matches of in the league stage, Western Australia have lost the all-important knockout match.

After Victorian captain Peter Handscomb won the toss and chose to bat, they scored 332-10 in 49.5 overs. After being reduced to 2-10 in four overs, a rapid 102-run stand for the third wicket between Marcus Harris (73) and Handscomb brought Victoria back into the game.

Handscomb was their pick of the batsmen, scoring 80 (73) with the help of nine fours and a six. Nic Maddinson, who came in to bat at No. 6 in the 18th over, chipped in with his 13th List A half-century, 58 (63). With bowling figures of 10-1-50-3, Nathan Coulter-Nile was Western Australia’s highest wicket-taker.

Western Australia’s batsmen got starts but none of them played an innings which could have aided them in chasing 333. Maddinson (4.5-0-29-4) was instrumental in bowling out the opposition for 269 in 45.4 overs. Apart from Western Australia’s wicket-keeping opening batsman Josh Inglish (64), no other batsman crossed the 50-run mark.

In the first semi-final, Tasmania had defeated Queensland by 6 wickets in a low-scoring match. After Tasmanian captain George Bailey won the toss and chose to field, his bowlers stood tall on his decision as they bowled out the opposition on 177 in 44.5 overs.

Individual half-centuries from Bailey (70) and Simon Milenko (57) sealed the chase for Tasmania in the 38th over. Gurinder Sandhu, who had registered economical bowling figures of 9-2-14-2, was adjourned the ‘Man of the Match’.

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