Tasmania lost the key wicket of Test opener Ed Cowan early in their pursuit of 343 to beat NSW on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at Sydney’s Bankstown Oval.
The Tigers have a maximum off 88 overs to achieve their target, though they were unlikely to receive their full complement given bad light ended play prematurely on each of the first three days.
At lunch, Tasmania were 1-25 off nine overs, with Mark Cosgrove (8) and Alex Doolan (9) at the crease and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting due in next.
Cowan (8) was trapped lbw by Trent Copeland (1-5), giving the NSW and Australia seamer his 100th first class wicket for the Blues, but the Test opener appeared unhappy with the decision.
Resuming at 3-77, NSW added 121 runs from 22 overs before captain Michael Clarke declared at 6-198.
Nic Maddinson (86) and Moises Henriques (50 not out) maintained a good tempo after the loss of two early wickets.
The Blues lost Steve Smith (17) and Brad Haddin (7) to Jackson Bird (3-46) Inside the first four overs of the day to give the former Bankstown Sydney grade and NSW second XI paceman six wickets for the match.
Left-hander Maddinson stroked 13 fours and a six in his classy 105 ball innings before being bowled by Adam Maher (1-34), 14 runs short of his third first-class century.
He added 86 in just under 16 overs with Henriques, who followed up his first innings 161 not out with a brisk 51-ball knock that included four fours and two sixes.
Henriques and Stephen O’Keefe (eight not out) added another 18 before Clarke called them in.