Scott Mason

MASON, SCOTT ROBERT, died on April 9, 2005, aged 28. A small, gritty left-hander who played 28 times for Tasmania, Mason missed the whole of the 2004-05 season while undergoing treatment for a heart condition, but had been cleared to play again. He had faced a few balls in an indoor net session at Hobart's Bellerive Oval when he collapsed, and died 36 hours later. Mason's finest six and a half hours came at Hobart in January 2003, when he scored 174 to lead Tasmania to a comeback win over Victoria. He unleashed shots that disarmed those who thought he was a battler of limited ability, and scored another excellent century against Western Australia the following season, but was struggling for consistency before he was first taken ill. "Maso" was always a popular team-man, and a great geer-up in the field. Jamie Cox, Mason's captain and opening partner, said: "He was just such a likeable guy, and an inspiration."