In a moment of brain fade Tasmania No.11 Riley Meredith turned a draw into an agonising last-ball defeat after running himself out on day four of their Sheffield Shield clash against South Australia.
In pursuit of a remarkable victory after South Australia had declared twice, Tasmania needed seven off the last nine balls with four wickets remaining. However, their tail collapsed, bringing in No.11 Meredith to the crease.
With four needed off the last ball for a win, Meredith was on strike against Wes Agar, bowling from around the wicket. He gave himself room and only managed to dig a yorker out on the off side, setting off for a run. Anything fewer than four runs would have resulted in a draw, while a defeat would only occur for Tasmania if they lost the last wicket for two runs or fewer. A dismissal after adding three runs would have resulted in a tied game.
Non-striker Neil-Smith responded to Meredith's call and took the first run. Meredith in the meantime took a chance, setting off for the second but the pair was in a dilemma as Neil-Smith sent him back. By that time, Meredith was miles away from his crease as Benjamin Maneti collected the ball to run him out.
From a relatively safe position, Tasmania lost the game due to an unnecessary second run that wouldn't have gotten them to the target.
It would have been a record fourth-innings chase after South Australia set them a target of 429. Redbacks No.3 Jason Sangha top-scored with a 257-ball 151 in the first innings and followed it up with another 61 off 92 balls in the second, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Reactions poured in after the bizarre turn of events:
Extraordinarily poor game awareness from Riley Meredith. https://t.co/ov4kKG8pn2
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) December 9, 2024
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more ridiculous finish in a #SheffieldShield match. South Australia gifted full points on the final delivery with Riley Meredith needlessly running himself out. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy!
— Adam White (@White_Adam) December 9, 2024
Wild stuff in the Shield.
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) December 9, 2024
Tasmania needed 4 from 1 v SA. 9 down, Riley Meredith on strike to Wes Agar.
Bunts it to cover. They run one. For some unknown reason try to come back for 2. Three never on. Run out. SA win. Donald/Klusener type silliness. @1116sen @SEN_Cricket
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
