Kurtis Patterson's Unbeaten 52 Guides NSW to One-Day Cup Triumph Over Tasmania

Kurtis Patterson led New South Wales to their 13th One-Day Cup title with an unbeaten 52, guiding them to a 4-wicket win over Tasmania in a rain-affected final at Bellerive Oval. NSW's chase got shaky at 5-73, but Patterson's steady hand and Joel Davies' 20 off 10 balls turned the tide. Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis took 3 wickets each, restricting Tasmania to 118 in 20.3 overs. The rain-affected final in Hobart was reduced to 22 overs a side, and NSW emerged victorious thanks to Kurtis Patterson's unbeaten 52. Tasmania kept pushing, but Patterson's steady knock secured the Dean Jones Trophy for NSW. He also bagged the Michael Bevan Medal for his efforts. The victory also meant silverware for departing coach Greg Shipperd who was axed from his role in January but opted to see out the season. The innings capped off a dominant one-day competition for Patterson, who finished the leading run scorer for the season with 565 runs at an average of 113. Nathan Ellis and Chris Green's dismissal had Tasmania in the game, but Joel Davies' explosive 20 off 10 balls shifted momentum back to NSW. Patterson's steady 52 anchored the chase, securing the win. Nikhil Chaudhary top scored with 31 from 24 balls at No. 8 but was dismissed with two-and-a-bit overs left when he hit spinner Joel Davies straight to cover. Veteran Matthew Wade was one of just four Tasmania batters to get to double figures, but he was out for 15 caught on the boundary off Tanveer Sangha. NSW only qualified for the final after getting a bonus-point win over Tasmania in the final regular season game to jump up into second place. It is their first One-Day Cup title since 2020-21, while Tasmania haven't lifted the trophy since 2009-10. Tasmania's chances took a hit early on! Dwarshuis and Abbott's opening spells left them reeling at 25/5. Being top of the ladder wouldn't help now. He had a life when Jordan Silk put down a tough chance at point after coming to the crease in the first over when Josh Philippe fell, edging Riley Meredith low to Beau Webster at second slip. New South Wales 119 for 6 (Patterson 52*) beat Tasmania 118 (Chaudhary 31, Abbott 3-25, Dwarshuis 3-30) by four wickets