A massive partnership from Jason Sangha and Henry Hunt has given South Australia the early advantage against Tasmania
Match Report:
ScorecardSangha, Hunt tons lift South Australia to dominant position
Redbacks recruit Jason Sangha and opener Henry Hunt have posted sparkling centuries to put South Australia in complete control of their Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.
South Australia went to stumps on day one at a dominant 3-329, with Sangha (151 off 257 balls) and Hunt (136no off 292 balls) the stars of the day.
The Tigers' decision to bowl first paid early dividends when opener Conor McInerney fell for eight after a stunning reflex catch by Nivethan Radhakrishnan at short leg.
But it was all one-way traffic from that point as Sangha and Hunt combined for a 300-run stand that took the wind out of Tasmania.
Sangha struck 16 fours and one six in a memorable first Shield outing for South Australia, while Hunt was more reserved with nine boundaries.
Hunt now has 11 first-class centuries to his name, with three coming this season.
The 27-year-old scored 136 against Queensland in October, and last month posted 106 against WA.
His latest knock, which took his season tally to a competition-high 506 runs, ensures his name stays in the Test picture in case Australia decide to make any more changes to their ageing squad.
Sangha was playing his first Shield match for South Australia since defecting from NSW.
A stunning catch from Nivethan Radhakrishnan in Hobart! #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/U9DlklzyTi
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
And it was his first match since suffering a bizarre biceps injury while bowling for the Redbacks in a one-day game against NSW on November 12.
Sangha injured his right biceps while striding in to bowl during that game, but he showed no signs of the injury upon his return on Friday.
The 25-year-old looked composed at the crease, with his innings finally brought to an end when he was caught in the deep following a mistimed pull.
Sheffield Shield standings 2024-25
| Team | M | W | L | D | N/R | Ded. | Bat | Bowl | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
SA
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.63 | 5.3 | 29.93 |
|
2
VIC
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.76 | 5.3 | 28.06 |
|
3
NSW
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 24.2 |
|
4
WA
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.11 | 4.8 | 23.91 |
|
5
QLD
|
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.71 | 5.6 | 19.31 |
|
6
TAS
|
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6.05 | 4.6 | 18.65 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
D: Drawn
N/R: No results
Ded.: Deductions
Bat: Batting Bonus
Bowl: Bowling Bonus
PTS: Total points