WA coach praises 17-year-old Cameron Green after the Sheffield Shield debutant took seven wickets in Hobart
Langer gives Green light to historic debut
Western Australia coach Justin Langer admits Cameron Green wasn't a certainty to make his Sheffield Shield debut in Hobart this week.
The 17-year-old paceman only got the nod just hours before producing a magical performance of 5-24, which laid the foundations for his side's nine-wicket thumping of Tasmania at Blundstone Arena.
Langer concedes the right-armer's history-making performances very nearly never happened.
"That's as good a spell as I've ever seen from someone in their debut game," Langer said of his young star after the match on Sunday.
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"His first innings was quite extraordinary really, to bowl fast bouncing outswingers at 17-year-old, that was the highlight.
"We took a punt and he did really well."
— WACA (@WACA_Cricket) February 10, 2017
Helping dispose of Tasmania for 198 in their first dig, Green then took 2-56 in the second innings as the hosts fell for 265.
Western Australia replied with 410 and 1-57 to clinch victory by nine wickets in a match that never looked in doubt and finished in less than three of the scheduled four days.
Report & Highlights: WA thrash Tasmania in Hobart
"The way our boys, with a very young side, started and finished, was a brilliant performance," Langer said.
WA paceman Simon Mackin also caused the home side pain in their first innings, taking 4-57.
And then allrounder Hilton Cartwright's 94 was the best of four half-centuries produced by the Warriors' batsmen.
There were glimmers of hope for Tasmania, including knocks of 75 and 44 by skipper George Bailey, and in the second innings, No.9 Simon Milenko belted 75 and also snared three wickets for the match.
But overall it was another disappointment for the last-placed Tigers and left the captain lost for answers.
"You look at that scorecard and you look at that game, and if there is (any analysis) it's probably nothing that hasn't been said before," Bailey said.
"We all are scratching our heads a little bit."
The result is the Warriors' third successive Shield win and should propel the side out of second-last place on the competition ladder.
"We're certainly in the hunt (for the final) now and that's where you want to be at this time of the year," Langer said, ahead of two home games among the remaining three Shield fixtures of the regular season.