A NSW top-order collapse has given South Australia control of their top-of-the-table Sheffield Shield clash at the SCG.

The Blues’ top three were demolished by Gary Putland (2-17) and Chadd Sayers (1-5) to be 3-27 in their second innings, still trailing the Redbacks by 26 runs.

South Australia secured first-innings points on Tuesday thanks to a 74-run eighth-wicket partnership between lower-order batsmen Kane Richardson (40) and Joe Mennie (45).

The Redbacks’ effort was built around the brilliant 118 hit by Test aspirant Phil Hughes on Monday, as well as his 144-run partnership with Callum Ferguson (88).

But with four sessions still to play, maximum points remain up for grabs for the second-placed Redbacks, who trailed NSW by two points on the Shield ladder leading into this clash.

Their hopes of securing an outright victory were boosted significantly by some careless batting from NSW’s top three.

Sayers cleaned up Nic Maddinson’s stumps with a good-length ball that had the young left-hander driving and left the Blues 1-0 after four balls of their second innings.

His exit was compounded when Putland had Scott Henry caught at third slip by Johan Botha for one, and the Blues were 2-3.

In-form opener Ryan Carters (4) was unable to continue his hot streak, which delivered centuries in his previous two matches, as he was trapped lbw to leave NSW reeling at 3-11.

Botha thought he had captured the key wicket of Ben Rohrer (15no) two balls before the break, appealing loudly for a caught behind, but the veteran Blue survived.

He and first-innings centurion Moises Henriques (6no) hold the key for NSW to stay in the match.