Tasmania cricket team

Tasmania cricket team
	File:Tasmania Tigers.gif
Personnel
Captain	Daniel Marsh
Coach	Tim Coyle
Team information
Founded	1851
Home ground	Bellerive Oval
Capacity	16,000
History
Sheffield Shield wins	1
Ford Ranger Cup wins	3
KFC Twenty20 Big Bash wins	0
Official website	Tasmanian Tigers

The Tasmanian Tigers are the official first-class cricket team of Tasmania, Australia. They play in domestic one-day, 4-day and Twenty20 competitions. Their home ground is Bellerive Oval on Hobart's Eastern Shore, though matches are occasionally played at venues in Devonport and Launceston.

They have won the domestic one day competition (currently named the Ford Ranger Cup) three times, in 1978-79, 2004-05 and 2007-08. They have also been runners-up twice, in 1977-78 and 1986-87.

The Tigers won their first Sheffield Shield in the 2006-07 season, after almost 30 years in the competition. They had been runner-up three times, in 1993-94, 1997-98, and 2001-02.

The Tigers also compete in the domestic Twenty20 competition known as the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, and were runners-up in 2006-07.

Current Squad - 2008/09

Number	Name	Nickname	Stats			Bat/Bowl	Notes
Number	Name	Nickname	DoB	Country	Born	Bat/Bowl	Notes
2	Dane Anderson	Angry	October 19, 1984		Launceston, Tasmania	LHB
10	George Bailey	Hector, Geronimo	September 7, 1982		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB RHS	Vice Captain
81	Travis Birt	Ernie	December 9, 1981		Sale, Victoria	LHB LAS
18	Luke Butterworth	Butts	October 28, 1983		Hobart, Tasmania	LHB RM
20	David Dawson	Smokey	March 7, 1982		Canberra, ACT	RHB WKT
6	Gerard Denton		August 7, 1975		Mount Isa, Queensland	RHB RFM
3	Michael Dighton	Dights	April 24, 1976		Toowoomba, Queensland	RHB WKT
N/A	Robbie Dilger		May 2, 1983			LHB LAS	Supplementary Contract
28	Mark Divin		February 6, 1980		Footscray, Victoria	RHB RMF
24	Xavier Doherty	X	November 22, 1982		Scottsdale, Tasmania	LHB SLA
15	Alex Doolan	Dools	November 29, 1985		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB RM
21	Brendan Drew	Drewy	December 16, 1983		Lismore, New South Wales	RHB RFM
19	Chris Duval	Bear	August 3, 1983		Elizabeth Vale, South Australia	RHB RFM
25	James Faulkner	Jimbo	April 29, 1990		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB LFM	Rookie Contract
63	Brett Geeves	Banger	June 13, 1982		Claremont, Tasmania	RHB RFM	Australian ODI representative
22	Adam Griffith	Griffo	11 February, 1978		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB RFM
N/A	Ben Harris		24 April, 1979			RHB	Supplementary Contract
16	Ben Hilfenhaus	Hilfy	March 15, 1983		Ulverstone, Tasmania	RHB RFM	Australian ODI representitive
29	Wade Irvine		December 11, 1986			RHB OB	Rookie Contract
56	Brady Jones		September 16, 1988			RHB WK	Rookie Contract
1	Jason Krejza	Crazy	January 14, 1983		Sydney, New South Wales	RHB ROB
33	Rhett Lockyear	Lockdog	February 28, 1983		Mudgee, New South Wales	RHB RM
N/A	Brad Lovell		February 3, 1987			RHB RMF	Supplementary Contract
12	Tim MacDonald		September 7, 1980		Subiaco, Western Australia	RHB RFM
4	Daniel Marsh	SOB	June 14, 1973		Subiaco, Western Australia	RHB SLO	Captain, nickname acronym of "Son of Bacchus"
8	Tim Paine	Julio, Kid	December 8, 1984		Hobart, Tasmania	RHB WKT
14	Ricky Ponting	Punter	19 December, 1974		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB RM	Australian Test and ODI Captain
5	John Rogers		April 11, 1987		Canberra, ACT	LHB LM	Rookie Contract
32	Jason Shelton	Shelts	April 20, 1985		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB RLS	Supplementary Contract
13	Jeremy Smith	Jerrald	October 23, 1988		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB RF
N/A	Nathan Wegman		June 4, 1977		Launceston, Tasmania	RHB RFM	Supplementary Contract
9	Jonathon Wells	PUG	August 13, 1988		Hobart, Tasmania	RHB RHS	Rookie Contract

History

Cricket almost certainly has been played in Tasmania since the time of European settlement in 1803. However the first, first class cricket match played in Tasmania, which was also the first ever first class cricket match in Australia, was played in 1851 between Victoria and Tasmania in Launceston. It was a timeless match, but only lasted for two days. Tasmania emerged victorious by 3 wickets.

Since that time, Tasmanian representative sides normally had to content themselves with matches against touring International sides during stop-overs whilst travelling by ship to mainland capitals, and the odd first class game against mainland state sides, usually one per season. The quality of cricket in Tasmania varied from time to time, but particularly in the post war period enjoyed a high period. This prompted moves to be made by the Tasmanian Cricket Association for further matches and recognition. A Famous victory against the Indian tourists in 1977 helped the TCA convince mainland cricket authorities Tasmanian cricket was of a nationally competitive level.

The Tasmanian Cricket Association first made a bid to join the Sheffield Shield in 1964, but was rejected. Despite this, Tasmania was granted full status into the domestic one day competition upon its establishment in 1969. The Tasmanian team was finally admitted to the Sheffield Shield by the Australian Cricket Board in 1977 on a two year trial basis, although they played a reduced roster in comparisons to the other states. Tasmanias points on the ladder were x5 and /9 due to the fact they only played each other state once (instead of twice) during the season.

Victory came in the 1978-79 Gillette Cup domestic one day competition, and within a fortnight Tasmania had won their first ever Shield match, beating Western Australia by 4 wickets in Devonport, showing Tasmania was capable of competing amongst the nation's best.

Initially the side struggled for success and consistency and were the competitions whipping-boys throughout the 1980s. The rise of local hero, David Boon to international fame, showed the country, and the world, that Tasmanian cricket was here to stay. Despite this, the Tasmanian side struggled to win matches throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Regardless of the lack of competitive success, this period did have one exceptionally bright point for the state, as Tasmania unearthed a rare talent in Ricky Ponting who would go on to become one of the world's best batsmen.

A reshuffle in the administration and organisation of the TCA in 1991 did not have an immdeiate effect, but the mid 1990s brought a more professional approach, and the state's side rebranded as the Tasmanian Tigers, and with a new headquarters in the renovated Bellerive Oval, the state finally started to achieve more regular success. The side surged to the final for the first time in 1993-94, only to lose to New South Wales, but showed they were capable of successes at first class level. The 1997-98 season saw the Tiger's qualify for the final off the back off a remarkable six straight victories, and they were desperately unlucky not to win the competition after such dominance.

In the late 1990s Tasmania continued to produce top level cricketers. Players such as Jamie Cox, Dene Hills, Shaun Young and Michael Di Venuto became stars of the state side, and can all be considered unlucky not to have found a place in the Australian side.

The Tigers continue to remain competitive in all forms of the Australian domestic game, and in 2006-07 were successful in claiming their first ever Sheffield Shield title. The Tigers have also qualified for the final on three occasions in 1993-94, 1997-98, and 2001-02, but at the time were unable to win the title.

The Tigers have fared better in the Ford Ranger Cup, wining it three times in 1978-79, 2004-05 and 2007-08. They have also been runners-up twice in 1977-78, and 1986-87. The Tigers were also unlucky to finish as runners-up in the second season of the Australian domestic Twenty20 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash competition in 2006-07.