Hopes and Symonds star in Queensland win

Queensland 4 for 209 (Hopes 73, Symonds 62*) beat Tasmania 8 for 207 (Bevan 89*, Wright 52) by 6 wickets
Scorecard

Superb allround performances by James Hopes and Andrew Symonds allowed Queensland to thrash Tasmania in their ING Cup match at Launceston. Set a target of 208 for victory, Queensland romped home with more than 25 overs to spare, thanks to Hopes (73 off 46 balls) and Symonds (62 not out off 35).

Earlier, Hopes and Symonds had starred with the ball as well, taking five out of the eight Tasmanian wickets to fall. Symonds mopped up the lower order to finish with 3 for 45, while Hopes took 2 for 49 as Tasmania managed just 207 after electing to bat. Their total would have been a lot worse, but for a spirited unbeaten 89 by Michael Bevan, and 52 from Damien Wright. They were two of only four batsmen who made it into double figures as Queensland put in an excellent performance in the field.

The win puts Queensland on top of the points table, and has virtually assured them of the opportunity to host the final, on February 20. They are currently on 30 points, 12 clear of second-placed Victoria and Tasmania.