Victoria 106 (Bell 4-21) and 18 for 0 want 424 extra runs to beat Tasmania 240 and 307 (Webster 167*)
It left Victoria chasing a whopping 442 for victory at a bowler-friendly Blundstone Area. Webster was the hero on Saturday, cracking an unbeaten 167 off 180 balls as Tasmania recovered from 71 for six and 154 for 9 to achieve 307 in their second innings.
Webster cracked 22 boundaries and 4 sixes in his blistering knock.
“I chanced my arm a little bit bit. That is the best way I play, particularly when the ball is nipping round,” Webster mentioned. “My defence is not that nice, so I’ve obtained to play some photographs, and right now it got here off properly. It was good enjoyable batting with the boys down the order.”
Webster has 840 runs this Defend season at a mean of 70 and the allrounder nonetheless harbours hopes of representing Australia in Check cricket.
“I will maintain plugging away right here and maintain placing numbers on the board,” he mentioned. “If something comes, that might be nice. However a Defend would imply probably the most to me for the time being.”
Victoria are second on the desk, however a loss to Tasmania might go away them leapfrogged by Western Australia with only one spherical remaining.
Captain Will Sutherland was left to rue his aspect’s lack of ability to wrap up Tasmania’s second innings.
“It was trying fairly good there for some time,” Sutherland mentioned. “Credit score to Beau Webster and Riley there, they batted very well. We simply could not fairly get that final wicket. That is cricket.
“We’re nonetheless in it. Even when it does not go our method this sport, we all know we are able to win the final one. We’ll maintain our heads up and hopefully have an excellent day tomorrow.”
Victoria, who began Saturday at 81 for 7 in their first innings, had been bowled out for 106. Webster was solely on 16 when Tasmania’s sixth wicket fell in their second innings and he steadied the ship with a 70-run seventh-wicket stand with Jarrod Freeman.
However it was the last-wicket salute with Meredith that really knocked the wind out of Victoria, with the pair cashing in to get the lead above 400.
Webster was in such good contact he smacked paceman Mitchell Perry onto the Ponting Stand roof with one magnificent heave. Perry was so flustered he ended the day with 12 no-balls to his title, together with three in one over.
