Run glutton Rob Quiney plundered his second century for the game as Victoria set course for a Sheffield Shield thumping of South Australia in Adelaide.

Set an imposing 445 runs to win, the Redbacks crashed to 3-31 before Callum Ferguson (49 not out) and Tom Cooper (48 not out) rallied.

The pair took SA to 3-113 when rain forced an end to Saturday’s third day with 10 scheduled overs remaining.

Quiney confirmed his status as the form batsman outside of the Australian set-up, blasting 119 on Saturday to complement his first-innings 114.

The powerful left-hander’s third Shield ton this season lifted him to the top of the competition’s run-scorers list with 686 runs at an average of 52.77.

Quiney also is the third-highest scorer in the one-day tournament and was sixth-highest in the recently completed Big Bash League.

The brilliant form has surely placed Quiney, at age 29, as the next batsman in line for a national call-up.

After the Bushrangers took a first innings lead of 213 runs by bowling out the Redbacks for 224, Quiney smacked a ton from just 98 balls.

Mixing effortless drives with brute strength hook shots, Quiney struck 12 fours and three sixes and demoralised SA, who are headed for a third consecutive wooden spoon in the long format.

The Redbacks have banked just two Shield points – from their season-opener against Western Australia.

The confidence-sapped South Australians were set 445 runs for an unlikely victory when Bushrangers captain Cameron White declared his side’s second innings at 4-231 at tea.

The Redbacks were rapidly red-faced when within eight overs their chase was in tatters at 3-31.

Ferguson and Cooper then put on an unbroken 82-run stand but face the daunting task of surviving much of the final day for SA to avoid defeat.