Western Australia have the upper hand over Tasmania after a tumultuous day of 15 wickets and 304 runs in the Sheffield Shield clash at Bellerive.
The Warriors lead Tasmania by 177 after reaching 5-115 on day two, Mitchell Marsh to resume on 40 with Sam Whiteman 15.
The match swung wildly as wickets tumbled, and it was WA who first found themselves in the driving seat when they reduced the home side to 7-41 in their first innings.
But Tigers pair Evan Gulbis (80) and Luke Butterworth (72) then put on 145 from just 142 balls to somehow get their side back in it.
Tasmania were eventually dismissed for 196, 62 behind the Warriors’ first innings total of 258.
It was then Western Australia’s turn to flirt with disaster and they were 4-32 in their second innings before Marsh and Aston Turner (30) steadied with a 51-run partnership.
Tigers left-armer Sam Rainbird took 3-32.
WA’s lead could prove handy after Tasmanian collapses in their past two innings, the Tigers also losing 7-29 a week ago against NSW.
But Gulbis said his side was out to set things right.
“That’s behind us now so we’re just looking at making sure we do all the right things in the next innings and probably make amends,” he said.
Tasmania’s top order effort resembled a slips catching drill, with nine dismissals behind the wicket, as they contemplated their worst ever Shield total of 76.
Gulbis’s highest first class score came off just 73 balls and included 14 boundaries.
“There is a lot to lose but in a way a lot of our guys got out nicking so I thought I’d play my shots before I nick one,” he said.
WA seamer Mitch Marsh finished with 4-19 and Ryan Duffield, who’d been on a hat-trick in the first over of the day, 3-55.
“We saw that if our bowlers put it in the right area then there was a little bit in it,” Marsh said.