Tom Triffitt and Mitchell Johnson have saved Western Australia from an embarrassing second innings, moving to 7-118 at tea on the third day of the Sheffield Shield match with South Australia at the WACA.

WA were in control on Wednesday following the first innings with a lead of 163 after making 9(dec)-400 declared and then dismissing South Australia for 237.

However, the Warriors made a mess of that good position falling to 3-3, then 4-21 at lunch and 7-52 after the interval.

That’s when Triffitt and Johnson came together and the pair went on the attack before tea after surviving grimly early in their partnership.

They have combined for 58 runs with Triffitt reaching 50 and Johnson 37 not out.

WA have an overall lead of 281 with three second-innings wickets in hand.

The Warriors took the last four South Australian wickets quickly in the morning session conceding just 28 runs. That gave captain Adam Voges the choice to enforce the follow-on, but he opted not to and then the WA batsmen collapsed woefully.

Liam Davis (0), Marcus Harris (0) and Marcus North (1) were the first to fall to leave the Warriors 3-3. Voges and Sam Whiteman somewhat recovered the situation leading to lunch, but then Voges was trapped in front for three off Johan Botha.

The Warriors entered the break at 4-21 and Mitch Marsh fell for a 27-ball duck shortly after the interval with Whiteman joining him soon after when he was run out for 15 attempting a suicidal run.

The score was 6-28 and then 7-52 when Nathan Coulter-Nile fell for six, but Johnson and Triffitt did well to recover the situation to tea.

Chadd Sayers has been the pick of the South Australian bowlers claiming 3-37 from 17 overs while Joe Mennie has picked up two wickets and Botha one.