Tasmania 2 for 14 trail South Australia 195 (Nielsen 64, Webster 3-26) by 181 runs
Tasmania made a rare departure from their usual formula by including a specialist spin bowler for the only the third match since the 2016-17 season, but it was their trusty seamers' collective that rolled South Australia for 195 on the opening day at Karen Rolton Oval.
The Redbacks' captain Travis Head won the toss and chose to bat first after the hosts had dropped Tom Cooper for Callum Ferguson, only to see the ball move around helpfully for the Tigers both through the air and off a fresh pitch and slip to 4 for 61 by lunch.
Only a partial recovery could be managed thereafter, through a doughty 64 from the wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen with support from Chadd Sayers. Peter Siddle and Nathan Ellis shared the plaudits for their spells to the top order, before Jackson Bird and the part-timer Beau Webster - making good use of his height in switching to medium pace from his offspin - cleaned up the rest.
On a fine day in Adelaide, South Australia would have hoped to bat through the day, but were still inside the opening half hour when Jake Weatherald edged a beautifully pitched delivery from Siddle into the slips cordon. Brad Davis was victim to a similarly precise delivery from Ellis, moving away just enough to claim an edge that was wonderfully taken by Australia's Test captain Tim Paine, diving in front of first slip.
Disastrously, Head was to become the second South Australia batsman to be run out in a first innings in as many games, after Davis against Western Australia. Henry Hunt called Head through for a quick single to cover, giving Alex Doolan the chance to throw the stumps down and trigger wild celebrations.
Hunt fought well for most of the morning session, but in the final over before lunch was tempted to push at a fullish delivery from Siddle that moved away just enough to take a thin edge through to Paine. As well as he bowled, Siddle might well have claimed a few more victims had he prevented the batsmen from shouldering arms by offering a few more balls of similar length.
Ferguson, seeking a more consistent run in the XI after some recent struggles to keep his place, made it as far as 29 before he smeared unattractively across a stumps-seeking ball from Ellis that hit the back pad for a clear lbw. Liam Scott looked composed before fencing at a Webster delivery that bounced a little more than expected and being pouched in the gully, and at 6 for 107 the Redbacks were looking at a tally no better than 150.
Sayers, however, dug in alongside Nielsen, and they were able to combine for a stand worth 55 valuable runs against the older ball. Sayers made it to 30 before he dragged Webster onto the stumps, and the tail did not hang around long enough to take the Redbacks beyond 200.
That left Tasmania with an awkward 11 overs to the close, and Jordan Silk had reason to be nonplussed at being given lbw to a Sayers delivery that seamed and bounced to be clipping the top of leg stump at best. Doolan made it all the way to the penultimate over of the day, before he glanced Kane Richardson into Nielsen's gloves.
