TOPIC:

I've just seen one of the more puzzling captaincy decisions in my many years of following cricket.
Tasmania has just rolled NSW for 32 - the fourth-lowest Sheffield Shield innings total ever - to lead by 301 runs on the first innings.
Sean Abbott didn't bat due to injury, while Jackson Bird took a career-best 7-18 off 10 overs (Bird had earlier made 54, his highest first-class score).
Yet Tim Paine (who made 87 in Tassie's innings) has elected not to enforce the follow-on.
I'm sure Bird (in particular), Peter Siddle and Sam Rainbird - after a combined 19.3 overs - would've been itching to attack the Blues again.
Let's hope the inclement weather the east coast is currently experiencing (and my thoughts go out to those who've been flooded out) doesn't reach Hobart and cost Tassie an outright win.
Ever since Steve Waugh enforced the follow-on in Calcutta 20 years ago and VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid (bat) and Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar (ball) contributed to India winning the unwinnable Test, captains at all levels of first-class cricket have been reluctant to enforce the follow-on.

Agree ADGM, however in trying to explain their rationale for this decision, you may remember earlier in the season, Tasmania bowled NSW out for 64 on the first day of the match and NSW scored a massive total in their second innings and ended up winning the game. Maybe they are a little burnt by that experience and they want to bat NSW out of the game and not give them the remotest sniff. This game though is different in that NSW batted 2nd and have conceded a significant lead and they only have 10 batsmen because Sean Abbott split the webbing in his finger. The weather forecast looks OK for today and tomorrow but looks a bit dicey for day 4 so they would want to have NSW batting again by early tomorrow, setting them around 450.

Remarkable effort to restrict a team to a total of 32 in senior level cricket - almost looks absurd really
going to tighten up the whole competition if Tasmania can get the outright result and it could explain why Wade didn't enforce the follow on to some extent

My mistake, Southerner, I incorrectly assumed that Tim Paine and not Matt Wade was the Tasmanian skipper.
Excellent point you make, Mike, about Tassie's loss after rolling NSW for 64 in Adelaide in November.
It's quite remarkable that Tassie has twice dismissed the Blues cheaply this season.
I notice that the Blues spinners shared seven wickets, making Day 2 of the game quite remarkable in so far as 22 wickets fell.
You'd think NSW making the required 493 after being rolled for just 32 is beyond them but, to use the old cliche, cricket is a funny game.
 
 

Looks like the WA boys have got serious about having a tilt for a Shield Final berth. Have pantsed the Vics so far over three days of cricket including the one dayer. Nice to see Lance Morris get some reward for his bowling. He’s a real trier.

Let’s hope they go in for the kill tomorrow and snuff the contest out. Tassie to come so an outright here sets them up to go real close to getting a finals berth. 

AD: I agree , the simplest way to twenty wickets.

Both sides will be playing for a win by necessity at the WACA tomorrow, Ark.
However, I think our bowlers should be able to take the remaining nine Vic wickets.

AD: you picked it perfectly; I am glad we got there in the end; well done to the  bowlers on getting the twenty wickets on a good pitch.

With the top two Queensland and NSW playing each other, Ark, an outright win against Tasmania will have WA in the final.
Who knows where the final will be held if the COVID situation in Brisbane persists, though the Bulls first have to qualify.

So let me understand this then-

A WA 2nd XI missing Australian ODI/T20 reps- M.Marsh (WA Capt), Turner (WA V/C), Phillipe, Stoinis, Short, Agar, J.Richardson, Behrendorff & Tye gave the self proclaimed "Sporting Capital Of The World" Victoria a mother of a hiding in both the Sheffield Shield by nearly 300 runs & Marsh Cup (double bonus point) by over 170 runs this last week!?
Although we are not as deluded, ignorant nor big headed as the Vics but maybe it is WA that should have the real "Sporting Capital of Oceania" title!