For Tasmania, season 2000-01 is going to be all about seizing
opportunities. Seizing the opportunity to rebuild, seizing the opportunity
to blood and encourage younger players, and seizing opportunities to finish
off games in better style than it has tended to do in recent times.
Having lost opening bowlers Colin Miller to Victoria and Mark Ridgway to
the ravages of age, the biggest challenge of all for the Tigers will arise
from the problem of trying to assemble an attack able to dismiss opposition
sides cheaply. As Tasmania's all-time leading wicket taker, Miller has
been central to the team's cause over recent years and, quite often, the
only bowler who has looked genuinely capable of running his way through a
rival batting line-up quickly. Ridgway, too, has been a lionhearted
(albeit underrated) performer and his ability to fulfil twin roles as a
team leader and a regular wicket taker with the new ball has proved
invaluable.
Nevertheless, there has not been quite the degree of gnashing of teeth that
might have been expected in the wake of the departures of two of their
prime wicket takers of recent seasons. In fact, the Tasmanians have
indicated a sneaking satisfaction with the mix of youthful bowlers who will
complement the attraction of veteran recruit, David Saker, from Victoria.
Housemates Damien Wright and Andrew Downton illustrated a great deal of
promise last season; Wright was especially impressive at one-day level
while Downton made a brilliant start to his career in the four-day arena.
A substantial boost will also be provided by the return of Gerard Denton
from the debilitating onset of stress fractures early last season;
Tasmania's fastest bowler, he is a player of immense promise.
Where the Tasmanians desperately need to improve, surprisingly enough, is
in their collective performances with the bat. Long considered to possess
one of the best batting line-ups in the country, the Tigers simply didn't
receive enough in the way of contributions from their middle order last
year. Chasing targets proved a substantial problem - disappointing
collapses against Western Australia and South Australia respectively
proving indicative of the difficulties. Save for centuries at either end
of the summer from Andrew Dykes, far too much was left to Jamie Cox, Dene
Hills, Michael DiVenuto and the rapidly maturing Daniel Marsh. With
youngsters like Sean Clingeleffer, Scott Kremerskothen and Graeme
Cunningham proverbially breathing down their necks for their places,
stalwarts Mark Atkinson and Shaun Young will be under particular pressure
to do well this year.
The key player: Daniel Marsh. Hard to understand how the Australian
selectors overlooked him when selecting replacements for Shane Warne, Colin
Miller and Stuart MacGill for the International Cricket Council KnockOut
Trophy tournament in Kenya. An excellent cricketer whose power with the
bat is becoming eerily reminiscent of his father in his prime, whose
fielding is exceptional, and whose bowling is improving consistently.
Three first-class centuries came his way last summer; Tasmania badly needs
some more of the same again this season.
The up and comer: Shannon Tubb. Tasmania urgently requires a wicket-taking
spinner now that the wily skills of Colin Miller have been lost to
Victoria. In Tubb, they clearly have one of the country's best slow
bowling prospects in a long time and the 2000-01 season might well come to
be the most crucial of all in his development.
The draw: Daunting first-up fixtures in Adelaide and Brisbane
notwithstanding, Tasmania appears to have given a nicely balanced draw.
While their home ground hasn't yielded too many positive results over the
last two years, four games on Tasmanian soil in November and another three
in January at least provide them with the chance to rack up points
consistently during arguably the two most crucial months of the season.
Predicted Pura Cup finishing position: 6th
Predicted Mercantile Mutual Cup finishing position: 6th
