Tasmania produced a thrilling finish to claim a sensational three-run victory over Western Australia in one of the closest matches in Sheffield Shield history. The dramatic conclusion came on the final morning at Hobart, where Riley Meredith and Jackson Bird took the last two crucial wickets to snatch victory from the visitors.
Western Australia looked poised for a win as left-hander Joel Curtis and Corey Rocchiccioli built a 52-run ninth-wicket partnership, bringing their side within seven runs of Tasmania’s target of 259. Curtis had been the mainstay of the innings, hitting boundaries and expertly managing the strike, but his luck ran out when a Meredith delivery stayed low, trapping him lbw for 50.
Jackson Bird then removed No.11 Liam Haskett with an in-swinging yorker, sealing Tasmania’s three-run win after Western Australia finished at 255. The narrow margin equals the second-closest victory by runs in Sheffield Shield history and mirrored Tasmania’s previous heartbreak last summer, when they lost by just two runs against South Australia.
Tasmania’s innings was anchored by standout performances from Weatherald, who scored 94, and Silk with 57, while Kelly and Gannon contributed with crucial wickets. Western Australia had earlier relied on Hardie’s 61 and Curtis’s 50, but Tasmania’s bowlers, especially Meredith (3-41) and Bird, produced a match-winning display under pressure.
This win gives Tasmania momentum after a draw against Queensland in their season opener, while Western Australia has now suffered two defeats in the opening rounds of the 2025-26 Sheffield Shield season.
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