Paul Barbieri at the WACA Ground
New South Wales has regained the momentum in its Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the WACA, reducing the Warriors to 5-106 at tea in their second innings, still 37 runs behind the Blues' first-innings total.
Indeed, the Warriors are in danger of losing this match within two days despite staging a quality fight back with the ball on Saturday morning, as their fragile batting line-up was exposed again.
Bowled out for 131 midway through the second session on the opening day, WA fought back to bowl the Blues out for just 274 with a lead of only 143 that could have been considerably more.
But having worked their way back into the contest, the Warriors' batting slumped once again as Blues' strike bowler Doug Bollinger (3-27) rolled through WA's top order.
Shaun Marsh remains unbeaten on 42, but he's watched on as Luke Towers (12), Wes Robinson (20), Adam Voges (one), brother Mitch Marsh (17) and Theo Doropoulos (four) all fell cheaply.
Having slumped to 3-54 after stand-in skipper Voges was dismissed, the two Marsh brothers made a fist of the contest, with Shaun in particular attacking the Blues bowling in a 46-run stand.
But a sensational rising delivery from Bollinger surprised Mitch Marsh just before tea.
Preparing to hook the ball, Marsh was forced to defend, getting a top edge that sailed serenely up towards the slip cordon and was easily taken by Steven Smith.
The younger Marsh's wicket was followed by Doropoulos with the last ball before tea as Bollinger claimed his third in a timely reminder to the Australian selectors who left him out of the squad for the first Test in Brisbane.
Although it didn't cause much damage, Voges was involved in a strange incident off his first ball. Given out caught behind to Josh Hazlewood (1-21), Voges stood his ground for a moment and umpire Paul Wilson, incredibly crossed his arms and revoked the decision.
It hardly mattered as Voges fell to Hazlewood in the young bowler's next over as he was clean bowled for just one, but the incident may have been a talking point had the experienced Warriors batsman gone on to make a big score.
Western Australia 1st innings 131
New South Wales 1st innings
Jaques c S. Marsh b Hogan 28
Hughes c Coetzee b Magoffin 58
Khawaja c Ronchi b Knowles 39
D. Smith c S. Marsh b Knowles 52
Rohrer lbw b Knowles 4
Henriques b Coetzee 52
Warner c S. Marsh b Magoffin 0
S. Smith c Ronchi b Doropoulos 6
Clark c S. Marsh b Doropoulos 0
Bollinger c Ronchi b Knowles 9
Hazlewood not out 9
Extras: 17 (4b, 3lb, 9nb, 1)
Total: 274 (82.5 overs)
FoW: 1-77, 2-104, 3-141, 4-145, 5-212, 6-221, 7-248, 8-248, 9-250, 10-274
Western Australia bowling:
Magoffin 21 - 7 - 53 - 2 (1nb)
Hogan 21 - 6 - 62 - 1
Knowles 20.5 - 5 - 99 - 4 (2nb)
Coetzee 16 - 3 - 37 - 1
Doropoulos 4 - 0 - 16 - 2 (5nb)
Western Australia 2nd innings
Towers c D. Smith b Bollinger 12
Robinson c Bollinger b Henriques 20
S. Marsh not out 42
Voges b Hazlewood 1
M. Marsh c S. Smith b Bollinger 17
Doropoulos c D. Smith b Bollinger 4
Extras: 10 (5b, 5nb)
Total: 100 (4 wickets, 26.5 overs)
FoW: 1-14, 2-41, 3-54, 4-100, 5-106
New South Wales bowling:
Bollinger 6.5 - 1 - 27 - 3
Clark 6 - 1 - 24 - 0
Hazlewood 7 - 1 - 21 - 1
Henriques 2 - 0 - 16 - 1