Ronchi, North lead Western Australia to victory

ESPNcricinfo staff

Text size: A | A

Western Australia 6 for 255 (North 100, Ronchi 79*) beat Tasmania 189 (Faulkner 76, Johnston 4-28) by 66 runs
Scorecard

A second successive century from Marcus North and a brutal innings from Luke Ronchi saw Western Australia coast past Tasmania at the Hands Memorial Oval in Bunbury. Western Australia struggled to score in the first 20 overs, and reached the break at 2 for 63. Tasmania were able to score quicker in their first 20 overs, but lost wickets at regular intervals - Nathan Coulter-Nile picked up three of them - to wind up 6 for 84 when their innings was suspended.

Western Australia proceeded to lose quick wickets on their resumption, slumping to 5 for 125 with only 13.2 overs remaining, but Ronchi launched an audacious attack on the bowlers in the company of North, smashing nine fours and four sixes in his 44-ball, unbeaten 79. The pair added 115 for the sixth wicket at a run-rate of 10.14 to take the game away from Tasmania before North was run out right after he had reached his hundred. James Faulkner and Luke Butterworth made a determined effort to keep Tasmania in the game, adding 77 for the seventh wicket, but it was always going to be a case of too little too late, and Matt Johnston wrapped up the game by taking the last three wickets in a two over burst.