BELLERIVE'S BEST FIVE TEST MOMENTS
1989 - BOONY OPENS UP AT BELLERIVE
It was fitting that after years of waiting, David Boon faced up to the first ball of Test cricket bowled at Bellerive Oval. The Tasmanian didn't have it all his own way but. After both teams were knocked over for less than 225 in the first innings, Boon was out for a duck in the second before Mark Taylor, Dean Jones and Steve Waugh all hit triple-figures. Sri Lanka fought to 348 in reply, but were defeated by 173 runs.
1997 - NEW ZEALAND TAILS SAVES VISITORS
New Zealand's efforts to draw the 1997 Test against Australia in Hobart will go down as one of their gutsiest of all-time. After rain washed out the majority of the first day, New Zealand declared 149 runs behind the Australians, and attempted to chase down 287 in the final two sessions. However the plan almost burnt them when they crashed to 9-221 in reply with 38 minutes remaining on the final day. But Simon Doull and Shayne O'Connor faced out a tense period (scoring just two runs) to save the match.
1999 -LANGER AND GILLY SAVE THE DAY
Justin Langer (127) was still a gritty, yet unproven, Test bat when he combined with the then-unpopular 'keeper Adam Gilchrist (149), who had taken Ian Heally's spot in the side. How quickly things can change. Coming to the wicket at 5-126 late on the fourth day in pursuit of 369 for victory against Pakistan, the pair gutsed out a 218-run stand to put Australia within touching distance of victory. The Aussies won the match, the team's never-say-die Test attitude was born and they went on to win their next 13 en route to a world record 16 consecutive wins.
2010 - PUNTER'S 209 AGAINST PAKISTAN
Australian captain Ricky Ponting's career could have been all but over when he skied a ball to Mohammad Amir on zero. Having gone 17 innings without a century, Ponting's career was on the line going into the last Test of the summer. Amir dropped a sitter though and the Hobart boy made them pay. Ponting finished on 209 before Amir finially had him caught, and then scored 89 in the second innings to set up a 231-run flogging to end Pakistan's series from hell.
2011 - KIWIS LEAVE AUSSIES STUNNED
After rolling the Kiwis for 150 in the first innings, the Aussies crashed back down to earth when they were routed for 136 in reply. Left needing 241 for victory, David Warner announced himself as a Test batsman as he batted through the innings, but no-one could handle Doug Bracewell at the other end as he claims six scalps and helped New Zealand to an eight-run victory. The win was the Black Caps first over their trans-Tasman rivals in 18 years.
