Unrelenting pressure from Tasmania’s bowlers and a challenging Bellerive pitch have restricted Western Australia to 4-231 at stumps on the opening day of their Sheffield Shield clash.

Michael Klinger (100) carved out a century for the visitors before being dismissed the next delivery at the close of Sunday’s play.

Off the bowling of James Faulkner (1-29) Klinger played across the crease to edge the ball to second slip, ending a patient knock for the batsman which included 10 boundaries.

Klinger later admitted it wasn’t the most fluid innings and that WA struggled throughout Sunday with the scoring rate.

“We had to fight hard for our runs,” he told reporters.

With an early green wicket Tasmania won the toss and sent WA to bat first, but the pitch soon hardened.

“Tassie bowled really well throughout the day and set some really good fields and bowled pretty straight which made it difficult to score at times,” Klinger said.

“Hopefully the wicket will crack up a bit.”

Andrew Fekete had an early breakthrough for the Tigers on Sunday, bowling Marcus Harris (6) in the fourth over.

Fekete struck again in the second session when, off his own bowling, he deflected a drive onto the stumps and caught Cameron Bancroft (61) out of his crease.

Adam Voges (41) was the third victim, bowled by Fekete.

But the big prize was Klinger’s scalp.

It keeps Tassie well in the game, Fekete said.

“It’s pretty even at the moment,” the paceman said.

“It was a slow and hard-fought days cricket.”

The Tigers were without spinner Xavier Doherty who was a late omission after being called up to the Australian one-day squad ahead of Wednesday’s match against South Africa in Canberra.

Ben Hilfenhaus (0-34) returned from national duty and injury.

Clearly still feeling pain when fielding, as the result of a recent shoulder sprain, Fekete said Hilfenhaus isn’t in discomfort when bowling.

The Warriors resume on Monday with Shaun Marsh not out on 16 and new batsman Sam Whiteman at the crease.