Tasmania's first-choice wicketkeeper for six seasons, Sean Clingeleffer lost his state contract for 2008-09 and faces a serious challenge to add to his 74 first-class appearances. Regardless of what his future holds, Clingeleffer will always be recognised as one of the stars of Tasmania's historic Pura Cup triumph in 2006-07. He was lucky to be part of the side. The state's top gloveman since 2000-01, he had not missed a Pura Cup game until he was axed during the season after a slow start to his campaign, combined with the emergence of Tim Paine. Fortunately for Clingeleffer, Paine's batting suffered from the dual roles and the Tigers reverted to their old setup. A patient back-foot batsman who enjoys lengthy stays, Clingeleffer entered the final against New South Wales with no half-centuries for the season. He helped steady the first innings with 41 and was immovable in the second, batting for almost the whole fourth day and blocking the Blues out of the contest with 107 from 423 minutes. His 163-run stand with Luke Butterworth ensured the title settled in Hobart for the first time. It was his first century since he made two consecutive hundreds in 2001-02, and he finished the summer with 319 runs at 39.87 and 23 dismissals. But his batting form was down in 2007-08 and after five games he was dropped, leading to his eventual axing from the squad.

A fixture of Tasmania's first-class teams for several years since succeeding Mark Atkinson, Clingeleffer took at least 29 dismissals and passed 400 runs in three consecutive summers starting in 2003-04. He hit four half-centuries in 2005-06 and collected 45 victims, including a state-record ten against New South Wales at Bellerive. One of the country's most impressive recent junior players, he was a leading member of state and national under-age sides ever since he was chosen in Tasmania's Under-17 squad in 1995 as a 15-year-old. An Academy graduate and high performer in the national under-19 setup, he is a natural, energetic and skilled gloveman, who is equally at home to fast or slow bowling. The son of a senior Tasmanian horse-racing administrator and the brother of a fellow Hobart first-grade cricketer, Clingeleffer comes from a proud sporting family.
Cricinfo staff September 2008