ALICE SPRINGS: Too late wickets on day three gave South Australia a smidgen of hope with two days remaining in the Sheffield Shield final.
Needing only a draw to claim a historic third straight Shield title for the first time in the state's history, Victoria opted not to enforce the follow-on despite securing a 200-run first innings lead, before suffering their late setbacks.
Having made a century on Sunday, Marcus Harris became Chadd Sayers' 62nd Shield victim of the season when he edged the seamer to first slip on 23, while Rob Quiney (one) drove Daniel Worrall straight to mid-wicket. Travis Dean (12) and nightwatchman Chris Tremain (three) survived until stumps, taking Victoria to 2-38 with a lead of 238.
Earlier Bushrangers spinner Jon Holland reprised his Shield final heroics of 12 months ago as the Bushrangers charged closer to glory at Traeger Park.
Holland - who took eight wickets in Victoria's Shield final win over South Australia last year - finished with 7-82 this time around as the Redbacks were bowled out for 287.
He said following play that the team didn't have a particular target in mind for the Redbacks.
"We're not looking too far ahead," Holland said.
"We'll assess it tomorrow and we'll just go out there and bat normally and try to establish a very big lead if we can, if we're good enough."
Holland now has 49 Shield wickets for the summer, providing further ammunition for those who questioned why he was left out of Australia's four-spinner strong touring party to India. He needs three second innings wickets to break Tony Lock's 50-year-old record for the most wickets taken by a left-arm orthodox spinner in a Shield season.
Perhaps Holland's most important scalp was South Australian captain Travis Head, who was left fuming after a contentious lbw decision sent his side further into the mire during the first session. Head was the second of Holland's victims, given out despite seemingly being struck outside the line of off-stump. Head didn't look impressed with the decision. When he returned to the Redbacks viewing room he let out an audible expletive after seeing a replay of the ball.
There was no doubt about Holland's other wickets though as he extracted ample bounce and turn from the dry wicket on another sweltering day.
Holland removed Callum Ferguson (26) and Jake Lehmann (14) either side of the Head dismissal as a promising start to the day for South Australia turned sour. The Redbacks were 4-107 at lunch, and things got worse after the resumption when James Pattinson took his second wicket of the innings, bowling Tom Cooper - who failed to offer a shot on six. Holland then generated sharp turn to bowl Jake Weatherald (60) who had earlier led the Redbacks' resistance at the start of the day.
Alex Carey and Joe Mennie put on 68 in a plucky seventh-wicket stand before Mennie top edged a ball from Holland on 36 to be easily caught by Victorian wicket-keeper Seb Gotch. The Redbacks tail wagged though even after Carey fell to Holland for 57. Adam Zampa (31), Sayers (23 not out) and Worrall (17) all made runs relatively freely, but Holland's regular blows meant South Australia still have a mountain of work to do to end their 21-year Shield drought.
Carey conceded that the Redbacks have an uphill battle to win.
"It's going to be tough," Carey said.
"A couple of wickets tonight gives us a bit of hope going into to tomorrow morning to hopefully take some quick wickets and hopefully chase less than 450, 400."
