Test opener Chris Rogers played a determined and unbeaten knock of 96 as Victoria claimed a lead of 58 with nine second-innings wickets in hand after day three of their Sheffield Shield clash with NSW.
NSW were bowled out at stumps on day two for 353, a first-innings advantage of 117, and the Bushrangers fought back in strong fashion to reach 1-175 on Friday at the MCG.
Unfortunately only 59.4 overs were bowled for the day. Play was officially called off at 5.58pm, with more than two hours of play lost.
Rain meant only 27 minutes of play were possible in the post-lunch session and players left the field at 4.55pm after just over an hour of play in the evening session because of bad light.
After his first-innings 88 in five hours in which he struggled to hit a boundary early and was only on 13 at lunch on day one, Rogers gave another exhibition of strong defence in the second innings, mixed with occasional lusty blows.
The 36-year-old left-hander had a lucky escape on 67 when he played a short ball onto his stumps from the bowling of paceman Gurinder Sandhu, who had overstepped the crease.
Rogers hit seven fours and one six in more than three-and-a-half hours at the crease on Friday, as his mentor and former Test No.3 Dean Jones looked on from the stands.
Jones has been mentoring Rogers on his footwork, encouraging his charge to leave the crease to the spinners and be prepared to hit big down the ground and also sweep and play the late cut.
Rob Quiney (56) shared an opening stand of 140 with Rogers before Quiney fell caught at slip to Doug Bollinger’s bowling after the tea break.
Peter Handscomb is 13 not out.
Test offspinner Nathan Lyon has failed to get a breakthrough in the second innings, taking 0-44 off 17 overs.
Lyon is facing competition from uncapped Victoria leggie Fawad Ahmed for an Ashes spot, although Ahmed was unconvincing in the Blues’ first innings with 1-91.
Play is due to start at 10am on Saturday on the fourth and final day of play at the MCG.
Cricket Australia is scheduled to name a squad on Tuesday for the first Ashes Test against England in Brisbane starting on November 21.
