Victoria have bowled NSW out for 208 late on day one of their last-round Sheffield Shield clash at the MCG on Thursday.
The fourth-placed Bushrangers remain hopeful of a berth in next week’s final, while NSW are fifth and out of contention.
NSW captain Stephen O’Keefe won the toss in overcast conditions and chose to bat on a lively MCG pitch with Steven Smith the only batsman to get going, playing an aggressive knock of 86.
Paceman Jayde Herrick led the bowling for Victoria with 3-50.
Left-arm paceman Will Sheridan (2-53) struck in his first over to dismiss Phil Hughes lbw for 22 at 1-40 and also removed Nic Maddinson caught behind for 19 in his third over.
Victoria had dropped wicketkeeper Ryan Carter after his fumble on Peter Siddle’s hat-trick ball during last week’s Shield match in Perth.
The Bushrangers handed the gloves to middle-order batsman and occasional wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb.
But the 20-year-old grassed a regulation chance off Herrick’s bowling with Hughes on 10.
Handscomb made no mistake when Maddinson fended at a wide ball from Sheridan, who’s in career-best form after claiming 5-15 against Western Australia.
Handscomb took a second neat catch to dismiss Usman Khawaja for 20 after lunch.
Smith and Ben Rohrer (15) added 59 before medium-pacer Andrew McDonald (2-8 off 14 overs) hit Rohrer on the pads then had Peter Nevill caught at first slip for a golden duck at 5-137.
Herrick claimed the key wicket of Smith who was prepared to play his shots in challenging conditions but top-edged an attempted hook to mid-off. Smith hit 15 fours off 126 deliveries.
David Dawson laboured for almost one-and-a-half hours for his 11 runs before he was lbw to spinner Jon Holland at 7-195.
Test quick Siddle broke through with the third delivery of the second new ball as Scott Coyte (six) was caught at gully and Herrick claimed his third wicket next over when Trent Copeland fell for a duck.
O’Keefe was unbeaten on 26 and debutant Chris Tremain was run out for two.
Eleven overs are scheduled for the remainder of the first day’s play.
