Island state Tasmania won Australia's Sheffield Shield cricket title for the first time in their 30 years after thrashing New South Wales by 421 runs at Bellerive Oval here Friday. The Tasmanians, hosting the final for the first time, skittled NSW for 149 shortly after lunch on the fifth and final day after setting the traditional powerhouses 570 to win.
NSW made a poor effort to put up a fight and were 105 for seven in the opening session to lose any remote chance of victory. Their demise was triggered by outstanding bowling from Tasmania's pacemen, veteran Damien Wright with 5-13 and swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus 4-22.
It was Tasmania's first win after being crushed in three losing finals. Young allrounder Luke Butterworth was named man of the match. He hit 66 to help lift Tasmania's first innings to 340 after one stage it was reeling at 94 for five.
Butterworth then took 4-33 to help bowl NSW out for 230 in their first innings. The 23-year-old went on to do the damage in the second innings, smashing 15 fours for his maiden first-class century, 106, in just his fifth Shield game.
His 163-run seventh wicket stand with wicketkeeper Sean Clingeleffer (107) boosted Tasmania's second innings to 460, ensuring NSW faced an impossible winning target.