The Tasmanian Tigers One-Day Cup campaign came to a close at the hands of Western Australia, as a cruel mix of injuries and a strong WA batting performance closed the door on the white ball season.
Needing a bonus point win and results to go their way in other fixtures, the Tigers had no room for error as they faced one of the premier sides in the competition.
Winning the toss and batting first, Western Australia also knew their equation - a win over the Tigers would give them an opportunity to climb the ladder and reach the final themselves.
The Tigers started brightly - removing Josh Phillipe for just 17 runs within the first eight overs, with the total only at 30. Mitch Owen took a fabulous catch to remove the opener, nut this was to be the last bright moment for the home side for quite some time.
Mac Wright left the field with a knee injury, before Mitch Owen was forced to depart with a suspected side strain. Meanwhile, D'Arcy Short began to take complete control of the game - accelerating the innings at a rapid rate, ably supported by Cameron Bancroft.
Short barely played a false stroke as he anchored the innings, with the Tigers now fielding two substitute fielders as they tried to regain composure and reclaim a foothold in the game.
The West Australian pair picked off boundaries at will, and batted together for over 25 overs before Bancroft was removed for a well made 64, with the duo adding 147 runs to bring the total to a formidable 2-177.
Things didn't slow down when the captain Sam Whiteman came to the crease either, and Short continued his brutal onslaught - raising the bat for a fine hundred. The powerful left hander was dominant and the bowlers had no answer, as he continued to lift when his side needed him most.
When Short finally fell lbw to Dooley, he finished with 127 runs off just 121 balls, with 16 boundaries to bring Western Australia to 3-252.
Whiteman fell one short of his 50, but did so with just 37 balls before falling to one of the catches of the season, with Charlie Wakim taking a one-hander at full stretch on the rope.
The visiting middle order dragged the total to 4-320 at the conclusion of the innings, leaving Tasmania with a difficult equation for a finals berth.
Needing runs at a rapid rate to secure any chance of a bonus point win, Jake Weatherald and Caleb Jewell came out all guns blazing. The task was made more difficult by a lack of fit batters, with Wright and Owen unable to return to the field.
In just 4 overs, the pair put on 42 runs, but Weatherald was clean-bowled by Bryce Jackson for a quickfire 24.
Jewell made a similar start, but was also removed in the low 20s by Ashton Agar - so while the Tigers were making runs fast, they were losing cattle too.
Charlie Wakim and Jordan Silk were next to try their hand, and the pair didn't mess around. Both players were aggressive, but weren't overly reckless, and picked off the available balls for boundaries.
Wakim was first to reach his 50, and as the pair continued together at around 8 runs an over, Tasmania began to give themselves real belief. Silk was also able to reach his half-century, but Wakim was removed in the 22nd over via a blinder of a catch from Cam Bancroft in the inner ring.
Silk was on his way three overs later, with the pair making 68 and 61 respectively to pull the Tigers to 4-192.
Brad Hope was unable to get going, and Tom Rogers (10) quickly departed, with Beau Webster now playing the lone hand as a recognised batter.
Tasmania's lack of middle-order firepower in Wright and Owen was now cruelly denying them an opportunity to a famous run chase, and despite the best efforts of Webster (48) and Dooley (22), the Tigers fell 52 runs short, and called stumps on their Marsh Cup campaign.
Full scorecard here:
