Jaques stars as Blues win thriller over Tigers

Another Phil Jaques century has propelled the New South Wales Blues to a thrilling twelve-run win over the Tasmanian Tigers in an ING Cup match at Bellerive Oval today.

Jaques knock of 138 came at a run a ball pace and provided plenty of entertainment for the Tasmanian crowd with 15 fours and a towering six off the bowling of Brendan Drew.

The century was Jaques fourth ING Cup century of the season and this one no doubt one of his finest. The Australian selectors must now surely be thinking "why?" when they dropped Jaques (after scoring 94 on debut) for Blues' teammate, Simon Katich.

There were also plenty of fireworks to come in the Blues' innings with Matthew Phelps blazing his way to 67 from just 62 balls. His blistering knock included nine grass-scorching boundaries.

Aaron O'Brien (27) and Corey Richards (15*) had some fun at the end of the Blues' innings, when it closed on a mammoth 7/311.

The pick of the bowlers for the Tigers was undoubtedly Ben Hilfenhaus who bowled out his 10 overs right through at the start of the innings. Hilfenhaus finished with the tidy figures of 2/37.

When a team scores over 300, you generally expect to see some nasty figures, and poor Brendan Drew (2/73 from nine) was walloped all over Bellerive Oval. Drew wasn't the only one to suffer, with Luke Butterworth (0/32 from four) copping some stick as did Adam Polkinghorne (0/60 from eight).

Tasmania couldn't have asked for a better start to it's innings with Tigers young guns, Travis Birt (89 from 90 balls, 10x4, 2x6) and Tim Paine (111 from 140, 5x4) really giving the experienced Blues attack some hammer.

Birt and Paine opened up with an awesome 179 run stand, broken by Blues all rounder and Shaun Pollock look-a-like, Dominic Thornley in the 31st over. When Birt was out, the Tigers suffered a major batting collapse, losing 8/111 in 18 overs.

Really, Tasmania had the game in the bag, but some dismal batting, thrown in with some quality bowling from Aussie test discard Stuart MacGill (3/44 from 10) and young all-rounder Aaron O'Brien (3/55 from 10).

Once Michael Bevan out (bowled by Doug Bollinger) the game was effectively over, with Tasmania's brittle middle and lower order exposed, badly.

Man of the match was Phil Jaques, and the message to come out of this match: "Jaques is a ready made opener, selectors!"

New South Wales take on Western Australia in mid February in their next One Day assignment, whereas also Tasmania play Western Australia, but on this Sunday.

Full scorecard available here.

•  Have a view on this story? Send us your feedback!