Watson injured again in Bulls loss
January 24, 2008
QUEENSLAND lost their fifth straight first class cricket game when thumped by nine wickets by Tasmania at Hobart - their worst run in 55 seasons.
If that was not bad enough former Test allrounder Shane Watson appears to have broken down with injury again.
Watson stopped bowling midway through his third over in Tasmania's second innings and walked into the dressing rooms looking distressed.
It capped a nightmare match for Queensland which has suffered a dramatic fall from grace after being the dominant outfit of the past 13 years.
Vice-captain George Bailey's unbeaten 51 helped Tasmania cruise to victory at 1-88, marking the defending Pura Cup champion's second outright first class win.
They had a nightmare start to their small run chase - Tigers opener David Dawson collected a dreaded pair in his first Pura Cup game in two years after being caught at short leg by Ryan Broad off former Test seamer Michael Kasprowicz (1-16).
It may be a bottom of the table clash but Tasmania looked every bit the defending Pura Cup champions as they bowled Queensland out for 341 in their second innings on the final morning.
Forced to follow on, the Bulls could only amass an overall lead of 87 runs after resuming at 5-207.
Allrounder James Hopes (84) shared a 77-run stand with Clinton Perren (71) and put on 73 with Ashley Noffke (47) but it was not enough to rescue Queensland.
Spinner Jason Krejza was the pick of the Tasmanian bowlers with 3-114 while allrounder Luke Butterworth (2-25) and Ben Hilfenhaus (2-51) were also impressive.
Hopes has had a stellar game with the bat.
His 87 in the first innings helped Queensland reach 200 - but it was well short of Tasmania's 454 opening dig.
Noffke is also in fine form.
He snared 5-79 in Tasmania's first innings to remain in line to join an elite group who have claimed the 500-run, 50 wicket double in an Australian summer.
Only two Australians have achieved the feat - SA's George Giffen in the 1890s and NSW's Greg Matthews in the early 1990s - and just seven overall.
Noffke has 657 runs and 44 wickets from first class matches this summer.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23101875-23212,00.html
