Victoria need five more wickets to complete a thumping victory against Tasmania in their Sheffield Shield clash at the MCG.
At stumps on day three the Tigers are 5-116 and, having only made 206 on Monday, still require another 202 runs just to make the Bushrangers – who made a huge 9(dec)-523 – bat again.
Fawad Ahmed (2-64), John Hastings (1-8), second-gamer Jake Reed (1-19) and Scott Boland (1-23) snaffled wickets on Wednesday.
After giving up their last nine poles for a measly 92 runs in the first innings, the Tigers collapsed again to lose 5-55 following a promising start when they reached 0-41.
Ahmed claimed the scalps of top-scorer Ed Cowan (33) and Jon Wells (17) while Hastings reaped his reward courtesy of wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who took a superb one-handed catch diving to his left to dismiss opener Mark Cosgrove (19).
Boland had the dangerous Ben Dunk (28) caught behind too.
Luke Butterworth (6) and Tim Paine (5) are the not-out batsmen.
Tasmania began Wednesday by taking 6-130, but the damage had already been done on day two after Victorian centurion Marcus Stoinis (170) was involved in 190-run and 99-run partnerships with David Hussey (88) and Peter Handscomb (43) respectively.
Handscomb was bowled by Sam Rainbird (1-54) with the ninth ball of the day and Stoinis spectacular innings, which featured 22 fours and three sixes, ended shortly after when he was dismissed by Ben Hilfenhaus (1-103).
Wade (55), with seven boundaries to his credit, and John Hastings (30), who smacked part-timer Ben Dunk (1-20) for two massive sixes, added salt to Tasmania’s wound.
Xavier Doherty was the Tigers leading wicket-taker with 4-130. Having not won a four-day match since November, Victoria are now also closing in on their first win at the MCG in over a year.