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Victoria pacer Sam Elliott nearly single-handedly led Victoria to a four-wicket victory over Tasmania in Melbourne, recording the second-best numbers in Australian One-Day domestic cricket history. Elliott also hit the winning runs in a crucial 56-run unbroken partnership with captain Will Sutherland.
Under gloomy conditions on a very green surface at the Junction Oval, Elliott tore through Tasmania’s lineup in just his 11th List A match, finishing with 7 for 12. Shaun Tait, a former speedster from South Australia, is the only man in the competition’s history to have better stats (8 for 43).
“I don’t know how to describe it,” Elliott said. “It was just one of those days when everything sort of clicked, it felt very good.
“[They are my] best figures ever [at any level]. It was a pretty nice day to do it – first One-Day cup game of the year.”
Following their collapse to 72 for 6, Elliott then shone with the bat alongside Sutherland to preserve Victoria from certain doom. Together, they scored an unbroken 56 for the seventh wicket, leading their team to victory with 23.1 overs remaining. In his 19 not out, the right-handed Elliott unleashed a couple of stunning pull shots that resembled the reverse of those his left-handed father Matthew Elliott played in his 21 Test matches for Australia.
“I think [Dad] might have me covered on those ones,” Elliott said. “I went to Darwin [in the winter] to work on my batting.
“It was really nice to get a little partnership in the end with Chief [Sutherland]. So it was nice to come out with a bit of pressure and do that.”
Sutherland finished 36 not out with a sophisticated and composed knock. After earlier claiming five catches behind the stumps, Sam Harper scored a crucial 43 to start the batting, the highest score of the game.