Lockyear leads Tigers

Late call-up Rhett Lockyear has scored his maiden domestic one-day half-century to help Tasmania overcome the loss of early wickets in its Ford Ranger Cup clash against Victoria at the MCG on Saturday.

Lockyear, a star of Tasmania's Twenty20 campaign last summer when he was named 12th man in the domestic Twenty20 team of the year, was originally left out of the Tigers' line-up on Saturday before being called up at the last minute when all-rounder Luke Butterworth was ruled out with a buttock injury.

And the 26-year-old opening batsman took full advantage of his reprieve to lead Tasmania to a promising 2-128 at the halfway stage of its innings.

Lockyear is unbeaten on 85 after just 25 overs.

With play getting underway in 31-degree heat, Tasmania had no hesitation in batting after winning the toss on a newly-laid MCG strip that promised plenty of runs.

But it was the home side that got off to a great start in claiming two early wickets despite missing virtually all of it first-choice bowling attack with Cameron White, Clint McKay and Andrew McDonald all in India with the Australian team, while Peter Siddle, Damien Wright and Dirk Nannes were all sidelined through injury.

However Darren Pattinson made the initial breakthrough when he bowled Michael Dighton for nine in the fourth over after the Tasmanian played on.

Shane Harwood then reduced the Tigers to 2-29 in the next over when he had former New South Wales batsman Ed Cowan well caught at second slip by acting Victorian captain David Hussey for a duck.

But Lockyear and Tasmanian captain George Bailey steadied the innings as they bought up their 50 partnership off just 76 balls.

Lockyear bought up his first domestic one-day 50 with a boundary off leg-spinner Bryce McGain in the 17th over with his half-century coming off just 52 balls while Bailey was lifting the run rate at the other end as he smacked a massive six off McGain over long-on in the 21st over.

However the Vics should have picked up the Tassie skipper in the 24th over when his Victorian counterpart Hussey somehow dropped a sitter of a return catch off his own bowling.