A slashing unbeaten century from David Hussey has held the Victorian innings together in bowler-friendly conditions at tea on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the MCG.
The Bulls attack exploited the humid, overcast conditions to have the hosts 6-238 at tea with Hussey still there on 117 from just 138 deliveries.
The wickets were shared by strapping left-armer Scott Walter who had 3-61, Ben Cutting (2-39) and Shield debutant Luke Feldman who claimed the scalp of opener Nick Jewell with his second delivery for the day.
Despite the regular fall of wickets, the hosts have maintained a bright tempo.
All six Victorians to fall have gone down swinging or at least attempting to force the pace.
The Bushrangers lost the in-form Chris Rogers (nine), his opening partner Jewell (11) and Brad Hodge (nine) inside the first 65 minutes of play.
They were followed by skipper Cameron White (27) on the stroke of lunch when the score was 4-102.
Coming off centuries in both of his Shield matches this season, Rogers started aggressively, hooking Walter's second delivery of the morning to the boundary backward of square.
But, in Walter's fourth over, Rogers attempted to cut a rearing delivery that was too close to his body.
The ball sped at waist-height to second slip where Lee Carseldine claimed it comfortably tumbling to his right.
There was no addition to the score when Jewell played all over Feldman's second delivery in Shield cricket - an inswinging yorker - and was comprehensively bowled.
Then, immediately after drinks, Hodge, attempting to drive Walter, edged to third slip where Daniel Doran pouched a hot one.
White fell to an injudicious slash off Cutting in the last over before lunch, and Andrew McDonald (27) offered Carseldine his third catch for the innings when he chased a wide one from Walter.
Dropped in the gully by Doran on 13, Matthew Wade went down swinging to Cutting for 27.
While those around him were losing their heads, Hussey was busying himself by picking off singles and thumping boundaries.
His innings has included 14 fours and he brought up his 50 and century with sixes off Doran and Queensland skipper Chris Simpson respectively.
Simpson won the toss and invited Victoria to bat in conditions softened by Thursday's spring rains.
With the return of Hodge from a hamstring injury, Rob Quiney was relegated to 12th man for the Bushrangers.
Otherwise, the team is the same as the one which defeated Western Australia outright at the MCG last weekend.
Coming off their strong showing against the West Indies at Allan Border Field in the tourists' lead-up to the first Test, the Bulls named Nathan Rimmington as their 12th man.
Victorian first innings
Rogers c Carseldine b Walter 9
Jewell b Feldman 11
Hodge c Doran b Walter 9
Hussey not out 117
White c Carseldine b Cutting 27
McDonald c Carseldine b Walter 20
Wade c Hartley b Cutting 27
McKay not out 16
Extras: 2 (1nb, 1wd)
Total: 238 (6 wickets, 60 overs)
FOW: 1-20, 2-20, 3-47, 4-102, 5-156, 6-194
Bowling
Walter 14 - 1- 61- 3
Cutting 15 - 6 -39 - 2 (1 nb)
Feldman 10 - 3- 39 - 1 (1 wd)
Reardon 2 - 0 - 14 - 0
Doran 11 - 1 - 49 - 0
Simpson 8 - 0 - 36 - 0