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'What just happened': Disbelief over insane Aussie cricket moment

Australian Associated Press
Victorian players, pictured here celebrating the final wicket.
Victoria celebrate the final wicket of Nathan Ellis. (Photo by Daniel Carson/Getty Images)

The Australian domestic one-day cricket competition has witnessed one of the most extraordinary finishes to a match in its history.

Tasmania suffered an astonishing late batting collapse to hand Victoria a one-run win at the WACA on Monday.

Victoria seemed certain to be heading for a second-straight defeat to open the season, only for Tasmania to lose 6-12 with victory seemingly in the bag.

Chris Tremain (4-36) and new boy Jackson Coleman (4-46) tore through the Tigers' lower-order and dismiss their opponents for 184 off 40.4 overs.

A confident half century from Ben McDermott seemed certain to lead Tasmania to the win and earn a modicum of revenge for defeat in last season's final.

Nathan Ellis, pictured here in absolute disbelief. Image: Getty
Absolute disbelief. Image: Cricket Network

The Vics, who lost their opener against Western Australia by 125 runs on Saturday, stumbled their way to 185 before being dismissed off 47.5 overs.

McDermott, who took four catches during Victoria's innings in an interim role with the wicket-keeping gloves, was unusually watchful in reaching his half century off 83 balls.

Last season's top-scorer for Tasmania and the tournament's player of the series was eventually out for 78 (108 balls) just five runs shy of victory as the Tigers chased a bonus point win.

But it was to prove their undoing.

Somehow Tasmania managed to lose after requiring just five runs to win with five wickets in hand and 11 overs remaining.

It will go down as one of the all-time collapses.

Cricket world in shock over insane finish

Jordan Silk and George Bailey earlier chipped in with 22 and 27 respectively earlier in the innings as Tasmania reached 4-172.

Victoria's all-star batting order again failed to fire and it was left to teenage all-rounder Will Sutherland to lift his side to some level of respectability.

Coming in at 6-109, the 19-year-old top-scored with a career-best 53, before being the last batsman dismissed.

All-rounder James Faulkner (2-45) did the early damage for Tasmania, firstly bowling Test opener Marcus Harris for 5 in his first over following a two-year absence from domestic white ball cricket.

He then prised out young ace Will Pucovski (10), before Jackson Bird (2-27) reprised the double breakthrough with the key wickets of Aaron Finch (12) and Peter Handscomb (13) to leave the Vics reeling at 4-46.

Glenn Maxwell (34) helped stage a brief revival along with the Matt Short (27) but both fell to debutant seamer Nathan Ellis (3-35) as all five Tasmanian bowlers shared the spoils.

Tasmania lined up without Test skipper Tim Paine and fellow Ashes tourist Matthew Wade.

Harris made his first start for Victoria, but Test quicks Peter Siddle and James Pattinson remain on the sidelines following their exertions in England.