Tasmania 201 for 4 (Silk 50*, Doran 33, Perry 2-32) trail Victoria 428 for 9 dec (Harris 143, Handscomb 129, Bell 3-63) by 227 runs
A fighting unbeaten half-century from Tasmania captain Jordan Silk has kept the visitors in the contest after Victoria threatened to take a massive first-innings lead on the back of a strong all-round day from Mitchell Perry at the Junction Oval.
Silk and Beau Webster guided their side to stumps at 201 for 4 after Perry's unbeaten 58 and two wickets had earlier put Victoria well on top. Following the opening-day centuries from Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb, Perry added a combined 116 with Fergus O'Neill and Todd Murphy for the eighth and ninth wickets, respectively, on the second morning, before Victoria declared at 428 for 9.
Perry struck seven fours and a six in his knocj of 58* to register his third Sheffield Shield half-century, while O'Neill made 36 and Murphy 20 as Tasmania's bowlers toiled on a Junction surface that flattened out significantly.
Both sides have identified that the new ball is the key period, and Tasmania began cautiously in response to try and avoid the same fate that Victoria suffered against the new ball on day one. Opening batters Caleb Jewell and Jake Weatherald added 41 in 19 overs, before Perry broke through with an excellent delivery that just did enough off the seam to catch Jewell's outside edge for 32.
Charlie Wakim also got started, moving to 18, before trying to force Sam Elliott off the back foot. Some extra bounce caught the edge and Sam Harper took a classy diving catch.
But catch of the day belonged to Ash Chandrasinghe at short leg. Todd Murphy's offspin proved very difficult to get away despite very little grip in the surface. Weatherald's painstaking and uncharacteristic 28 off 101 balls came to an end when Chandrasinghe plucked a stunning reflex catch close in.
It left Tasmania 80 for 3 and vulnerable to conceding a big lead. Silk and Jake Doran steadied them with a 63-run stand. But like those before him, Doran failed to kick on, chopping Perry on to his stumps for 33. Silk dug in alongside Webster, as Victoria's bowlers tried everything possible to create a chance. O'Neill bowled a spell late in the day with three catching midwickets and just two men on the off side at cover and mid-off to try and force a mistake.
But Tasmania's best two players did not take any risks, and guided the visitors past 200 on stumps without any further loss.
