A staggering collapse from the NSW SpeedBlitz Blues has put the PKF Tasmanian Tigers in with a good chance of victory at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.
The Tigers will chase 231 to win and go to the top of the Ryobi Cup ladder and can thank six-wicket hero Jason Krejza for restricting NSW to what must be considered a below par score.
Luke Butterworth had celebrated his return to action for the Tigers by removing NSW opener Moises Henriques with the first delivery of the day and a fluent century to Usman Khawaja (100) was in stark contrast to the rest of the Blues’ batting.
The visitors looked on track for a score closer to 280 when Khawaja was motoring, but stumbled during the final 10 overs as wickets fell regularly, losing 6-18 to be dismissed in the 48th over.
Henriques, opening at the expense of former Test batsman Phil Hughes, who is 12th man for the Blues, was trapped LBW by Butterworth, replays suggesting the ball would have crashed into the top of middle stump.
Butterworth and debutant Jackson Bird then bowled three consecutive maidens to open the innings, Khawaja eventually breaking the Blues’ duck with a tugged six over midwicket.
The left-handed former Test number three was given a reprieve in the fifth over when Mark Cosgrove dropped a low catch at first slip, but it was an otherwise chanceless innings as Khawaja made his way to an even 100 from 104 balls.
He also paired with talented youngster Nic Maddinson (31 from 46) in an 84-run stand for the second wicket before Maddinson became the first of Krejza’s six victims, caught in the deep by Butterworth.
It was Butterworth that bought Khawaja's dig to an end two deliveries after he had reached his ton, having his man caught high at gully by the safe hands of Ben Laughlin.
With 2-45 from nine overs, Butterworth lead the pace attack with fellow quick Laughlin (2-43) also impressive on a batsman-friendly pitch.
The former Queenslander bowled with deft changes of pace and plenty of variety, proving particularly difficult for Steve Smith (45 from 64) to get away during the middle overs.
Smith was eventually caught out trying to lift the run-rate from off-spinner Krejza in the 42nd over, effectively signalling the start of the Blues’ collapse
Simon Katich had added a quick-fire 15, flicking powerfully to leg-side for one big six before being caught in the deep by diving debutant Ashton May from Laughlin’s bowling.
Krejza then scalped Ben Rohrer (21), Pete Nevill (3) and Nathan Hauritz (4) before catching Scott Coyte (1) to give Laughlin his second wicket and leave the Blues reeling at 9-229.
He finished NSW the innings in the 48th over, trapping Trent Copeland LBW for a duck to finish with 6-55 from 11.5 overs.