New South Wales v Tasmania, Pura Cup, Sydney, 4th day

Bollinger fizz kills off flat Tigers

Cricinfo staff

November 23, 2007

New South Wales 7 for 512 dec beat Tasmania 214 and 263 (Butterworth 116, Birt 77, Bollinger 6-63, Bracken 4-53) by an innings and 35 runs
Scorecard

Doug Bollinger took 12 wickets to knock over Tasmania and complete a thumping win © Getty Images

Doug Bollinger picked up his second six-wicket haul to complete an emphatic victory for New South Wales by an innings and 35 runs. He had reached a career-best 6 for 68 in the first innings, but improved on that again in the second, with 6 for 63.

Nathan Bracken also added four, all taken on the final day, to press his Test claims as Tasmania subsided in the morning and were wrapped up before lunch. They began the day 157 behind with six wickets remaining, but were pushing for parity as Luke Butterworth converted his overnight 62 to a century.

He finally fell on 116, bowled by Bracken, who had earlier picked up Brett Geeves. Bracken then went on to clean up Brendan Drew and had Ben Hilfenhaus caught at second slip to close out the match.

But the main excitement came early on with Bollinger's double strike earning him the first 12-wicket haul by a New South Wales player at the SCG since Richie Benaud in 1959-60. Travis Birt was Bollinger's first wicket of the day, leaving one that clattered into his stumps on 77. Sean Clingeleffer followed soon after, edging to second slip, and the writing was soon on the wall for Tasmania.

Bollinger's haul comes amid a rich vein of form that started in Pakistan in August on Australia's A tour. This season he has taken 26 first-class wickets at 12.50, just behind the leading wicket-taker Ashley Noffke, who has played one extra match with five. Bollinger, however, has the most wickets in the Pura Cup so far.

New South Wales once tried calling him Bubbles because of his surname. That may not have stuck, but it's a fair bet there will plenty of champagne tonight.

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