Anniversaries are generally supposed to be joyous occasions. But they still have the tendency to evoke the opposite reaction too. In a cricketing sense at least, nothing could probably have proved the point much more emphatically than the differing responses of the Tasmanian and Victorian camps to the home team's dramatic forty-one run win in the teams' Mercantile Mutual Cup fixture here at the NTCA Ground in Launceston today.

In the crucial victory that now ensures that they will fight it out with New South Wales and South Australia next week for a spot alongside Western Australia in the competition's Final, the Tasmanians found much about which to be pleased. But, in the conditions which underpinned it, their opponents expressed significant displeasure. It made for an interesting and even controversial commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Australia's first ever first-class cricket match - the intercolonial game here in February 1851 in which the Gentlemen of Van Diemen's Land prevailed over the Gentlemen of Port Phillip by three wickets.

History looked unlikely to repeat itself when Victorian captain Paul Reiffel won the toss, invited the Tasmanians to bat first on a pitch too lively to appropriately befit the occasion, and watched as the locals crashed dramatically to a scoreline of 4/14 in just the third over. Deliveries were already flying at variable heights by that stage, especially from the Northern End of the quaint, tree-lined ground that doubles as the principal cricketing venue in Tasmania's second biggest city.

As new ball bowlers Mick Lewis (2/34 from nine overs) and Colin Miller (4/36 off ten) combined to dismiss Michael DiVenuto (0), Daniel Marsh (7), Shaun Young (0) and Shane Watson (3) and tear out the heart of a reshuffled Tasmanian order, the prospect of anything but a comfortable Victorian win seemed remote. DiVenuto had fallen to a dubious caught behind decision but, in the disappearance of Marsh to an inside edge back on to the stumps; the loss of Young to an outside edged drive; and Watson to a yorker, there was much about which the Victorians could enthuse.

But they probably didn't count on the glorious batting which ensued in the most crucial partnership of the day - the 109 run stand between Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox (58) and Scott Kremerskothen (47). Man of the match Cox conceived the classiest of hands in the most difficult of circumstances. The ever-maturing Kremerskothen was comparatively less assured but worked just as determinedly and devoted himself just as capably to the salvage mission.

"We just had to play it like it was a first-class game," said Cox of the approach that he and his young teammate utilised in their matchwinning alliance.

"You assess it early and you look and say 'this is a difficult wicket'. But if you play it like it's a first-class game, then you shouldn't get out. I felt they bowled us some loose stuff, which enabled us to keep things ticking over. We were working hard to keep out the good balls but, in between, there was some stuff that we could score off."

From the very depths of despair, the pair not only provided the innings with the kickstart that it needed but also with the vast majority of its 183 runs. The very handy twenty-three run liaison between Brad Thomas (16) and Damien Wright (15*) for the tenth wicket was the only other meaningful partnership.

The Victorians, meanwhile, had reason to kick themselves. Kremerskothen's hand would have ended with his score at just seven but for a misjudgment at mid on that ensured that a backtracking Ben Oliver was unable to successfully juggle a high, top edged pull. Along with another missed catch by Brad Hodge later in the innings at cover, and a spate of misfields and wasteful returns, it proved very expensive. It also ensured that they did not capitalise fully on some wonderfully guileful bowling, of both the medium pace and off spin variety, from Miller in a typically high-class performance against his former state.

Once Matthew Elliott (2) and Hodge (12) had surrendered their involvement in the chase to a miscued shot over the leg side and an impatient-looking cover drive respectively, Victoria seemed to lack the batting resources that were needed in such treacherous circumstances. New ball bowlers Wright (2/29 off ten overs) and Young (2/30 from ten) exploited the favourable conditions perfectly, and then received great support from the likes of Josh Marquet (2/15 off 7.1) and Marsh (2/38 from ten) as the afternoon unfolded. The Tasmanians' out-cricket was also brilliant. There were a number of well taken slips catches, the production of an excellent run out from a Cox throw to wicketkeeper Sean Clingeleffer, and a sensational low diving catch from Watson at cover.

But, while Reiffel was quick to concede that the Tasmanians outwitted his team in all aspects of a game played out before 2402 enthusiastic fans, he also singled out the pitch's centrality in the outcome.

"The wicket was probably not first class. It was certainly a very up and down wicket," mused the Victorian captain.

"It probably didn't produce the cricket that the crowd deserved and that the occasion deserved. So that was a bit disappointing."

"Definitely," he answered when questioned as to whether it was the worst pitch on which his team had played this year. "I don't think I've seen uneven bounce like that in a wicket."

The Bushrangers never really got going at all with the bat. There were handy cameo contributions from Darren Berry (27) and Michael Klinger (20) but no-one was able to provide the same kind of impetus as the Tasmanians had earlier established. In a tight finish, it also meant that the Tasmanians snuck away with a third bonus point for the season - and a second against Victoria. It could well be a crucial one as it now means that they simply have to defeat New South Wales in Sydney next week and rely on Victoria defeating South Australia to inherit the right to take on Western Australia in the competition's ultimate match.

One hundred and fifty years from now, there is a fair chance that the pitch will still be identified as the major talking point of this game. But maybe, just maybe, it might carve out a niche in history for another reason. If the Tigers progress on from here to secure that spot in a domestic one-day Final for the first time in fourteen long years, then its role in assisting them there will definitely be remembered. If they then do the unthinkable and clinch the title for only the second ever time, even the Gentlemen of Van Diemen's Land will likely be smiling down happily upon its importance.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd