Tim's timely ton puts Tassie on top

The name might not be immediately recognisable, even within his adopted cricket home of Tasmania, but there's a couple of reasons Tim Ward might be mentioned in early conversations about Ashes aspirants.

 

Firstly, by dint of his career-high 125 not out on day one of Tasmania's match against reigning titleholders Queensland in Adelaide today, Ward is the only opening batter to have reached 50 in the current Marsh Sheffield Shield season.

 

That feat comes with the caveat there's been only one other Shield game played this summer – between Western Australia and South Australia at the same venue last week – in which WA's Sam Whiteman posted a pair of 40s.

But perhaps more saliently, Ward also boasts experience of facing the new ball in the hands of a couple of likely Ashes tourists Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson when he represented New South Wales second XI in a game against the England Lions at Wollongong two summers ago.

 

That was the season before the now 23-year-old took up the offer of a rookie contract with Tasmania, having proved a prolific scorer for Parramatta in Sydney's Premier Cricket competition but unable to force his way into the Blues' powerful line-up.

 

Today, the left-hander gave the appearance of an assured veteran in batting throughout the day against a Queensland attack that laboured long but with little reward as Mark Steketee (2-52) their only multiple wicket-taker.

 

Ward brought up his maiden first-class hundred in style befitting an opener, muscling Michael Neser's first delivery with the second new ball to the mid-wicket rope via a short-arm pull shot, the 13th boundary in his 219-ball stay to that point.

 

 

It was just relief after toiling away for years and years, and I'll enjoy it tonight," Ward said at day's end of his breakthrough ton in just his third Shield innings.

 

"It hasn't really sunk in yet and we've still got a job to do tomorrow.

 

"I didn’t have the greatest start, I probably rode my luck a little bit.

 

"I was lucky enough to just get through it and cash in later on a flat one.

 

"When I came into first grade in Sydney I got slotted in at number six like any young guy, but I enjoy opening, that's where I want to be."

 

Ward follows a line of young batters who have quit the mainland in search of greater opportunities  in Tasmania, including current Tigers teammates Jake Doran, Jordan Silk and Charlie Wakim (all New South Wales) and Ben McDermott (Queensland).

 

Their latest boom recruit was lured by former coach Jeff Vaughan, who has since taken up a role with Justin Langer and the Australia men's team.

 

 

"I got the opportunity from Jeff Vaughan, he called me up and said 'how about coming down to play for us' or at least have a look on a rookie contract," Ward said.

 

"I've just tried to work as hard as a I can and score some runs in club cricket, and I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to play for Tassie.

 

"I've been really lucky to have my girlfriend come down with me, she made the move from Sydney so that's made it a lot easier.

 

'The first six months weren't as easy, but since having her down it really feels like home.

 

"I was just looking to play 10 Shield games, that's all I could have asked for.

 

"It's just pretty lucky to start the way I have, to be honest.

 

"It was great scoring runs for Parramatta, but you can't beat this."

 

He remained unbeaten at stumps with Tasmania ascendant at 3-285, with nightwatchman Lawrence Neil-Smith none not out after McDermott (71 from 158 balls) fell to a miscued pull shot shortly before the close.

 

Image Id: E1C530EA16D847EE9205F49350CEA2C6 Image Caption: McDermott (left) and Ward put on a 145-run partnership // Getty

 

McDermott clearly enjoys batting on the early season pitches at Rolton Oval and its adjoining Park 25, having scored 265 runs from seven innings (average 44) in the Shield 'hub' that kicked off last summer's Shield competition, a string of scores that included two 90s among his four half-centuries.

 

Ward made his Shield debut for the Tigers in their final match of last summer against WA in Perth, where he replaced Wakim at the top of the order to become Silk's opening partner.

 

Today, he figured in a 120-run second-wicket stand with Wakim (62) as he easily eclipsed his previous highest first-class score of 24.

 

Ward was compact and untroubled on a benign surface which offered so little to the quicks that Queensland left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann entered the attack in the morning's 10th over.

 

Kuhnemann, who earned his place because leg spinner Mitchell Swepson (last season's leading Shield wicket-taker) is part of Australia's T20 World Cup squad, finished day one with 29 overs which is already the biggest single-innings workload of his fledgling first-class career.

 

The Bulls didn’t help their cause in the opening session when they spilled a couple of chances off Wakim, after Neser had Caleb Jewell (10) smartly caught at third slip by Usman Khawaja in the fifth over.

 

Kuhnemann couldn't believe he spilled a knee-high return catch when Wakim was 18, and substitute fielder James Bazley (on the field for Khawaja) failed to hold on to a sharp one-handed offering to his right at square leg when Tasmania's number three had moved to 26.

 

It seemed Wakim's luck was in, as he reached his half-century (from 116 balls) shortly after lunch.

 

But the 30-year-old's inability to convert starts - since his 160 on debut against SA in 2018-19 he's posted 16 scores between 10 and 40 from 29 innings – returned to haunt him when he clipped a full delivery from Steketee to forward-square leg.

 

Steketee had begun the day wearing a shirt borrowed from teammate Sam Heazlett after he and keeper Jimmy Peirson had gear stolen from the team van outside their Adelaide hotel earlier in the week.

 

Image Id: 596F16FD326749789DA6136FC76BC34C Image Caption: Mark Steketee was Queensland's only multiple wicket-taker on day one // Getty

 

After lunch he reverted to a plain white shirt, perhaps wishing for even greater anonymity given the lack of encouragement the pitch afforded bowlers of either speed or spin.

 

It was destined to be a tough day for the Bulls' attack from the moment Tasmania won the toss, with the coin having barely come to rest on the bare, dry pitch before the Tigers' stand-in skipper Beau Webster seized on the chance to bat.

 

With a raft of regular players unavailable including skipper Tim Paine (neck surgery), Matthew Wade (T20 World Cup preparation), Jackson Bird (achilles), Doran (finger), Riley Meredith (workload management) and Nathan Ellis (IPL), Tasmania took a revamped batting line-up into their season opener.

 

Regular opener Silk was listed to bat at five, ahead of Mac Wright and Webster while Queensland boasts a star-studded top-order featuring Test-capped Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Khawaja and Matthew Renshaw.

 

But it might be some time before they get their chance at the crease, and Rolton Oval's lush outfield grass and sandy top-dressing has already taken a toll on the legs of fast bowlers in their first outing of the summer.

 

Young quick Blake Edwards, in just his second first-class game, left the field during the afternoon session after sending down one delivery of his ninth over at which point he was wracked by hamstring cramps.

 

The 21-year-old went through a series of tests under the eye of team physiotherapist Martin Love and bowling coach Andy Bichel during the tea break, but after delivering two more balls at the start of the final session he was once again forced from the field.