Tasmania needs a further 212 runs to claim victory in the Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales after a dramatic second day at Bellerive Oval.
In a match where ball has dominated bat, young NSW opener Phil Hughes has been defiant as he backed up his first innings of 93 with a superb 108 to guide the Blues to a total of 173.
Hughes' knock included 14 boundaries and one six and came off just 152 balls.
Tasmania were left to face seven overs before stumps was called and they failed to survive with star quick Nathan Bracken removing Rhett Lockyear to leave Tasmania at 1-7 at stumps.
Jonathan Wells (two runs) and Tim MacDonald (0) are the not out batsmen at the crease.
The Blues had earlier claimed first innings points when they completed their rout of the Tigers by bowling them out for just 127 in reply to the visitors' first dig of 172.
With their fellow batters falling by the wayside and their team struggling at 4-51, Hughes and Steve Smith put together a 101-run fifth wicket partnership to help the visitors to a competitive total.
Smith hit a quickfire 42 off just 61 balls, but when he was removed in the 40th over by Ben Hilfenhaus, the Blues lost all the momentum.
Hughes and Smith were the only two Blues to reach double figures on another tough day of batting.
Hilfenhaus removed Moises Henriques in the same over on his way to the impressive figures of 3-35 from 34 overs to put the Tigers back on the front foot.
And when part-time spinner Dan Marsh got the crucial wicket of Hughes, he quickly removed Bracken and Daniel Smith to have the Blues all out for 173.
Earlier, Tasmanian pace bowler Gerard Denton was one of the few in the match to find the going with the bat easy too as he capped off his haul of 5-18 on the first day with a career-best innings of 48 on the second morning.
Bracken was the best of the Blues' bowlers finishing with 5-28, although he was wicketless on Wednesday.
Blues youngster Henriques backed up his valuable contribution with the bat on the opening day (38) by taking two wickets on Wednesday, including the scalp of Denton, for figures of 2-8.
Tasmania started the day on 7-87 but lost Marsh on the third ball of the morning with out any addition to the score.
New South Wales 1st innings 172
Tasmania 1st innings
Lockyear lbw b Bollinger 0
Wells run out (Thornely) 4
Anderson b Bracken 25
Bailey lbw b Bracken 5
Marsh c Smith b Bollinger 21
Paine c Cowan b Bracken 2
Butterworth c Smith b Bracken 0
Geeves c Khawaja b Bracken 0
Denton c Smith b Henriques 48
Hilfenhaus b Henriques 13
MacDonald not out 1
Extras: 8 (4lb, 4nb)
Total: 127 (all out, 46.4 overs)
FOW: 1-2, 2-24, 3-36, 4-39, 5-41, 6-41, 7-41, 8-87, 9-122, 10-127
Bowling
Bollinger 14 - 2 - 49 - 2 (2nb)
Bracken 20 - 9 - 28 - 5
Lamber 6 - 0 - 38 - 0 (2nb)
Henriques 6.4 - 5 - 8 - 2
New South Wales 2nd innings
Khawaja c Marsh b Hilfenhaus 0
Hughes c Anderson b Marsh 108
Forrest c Paine b Geeves 3
Cowan c Paine b MacDonald 1
Thornely c Paine b Geeves 0
S.Smith b Hilfenhaus 42
Henriques c Lockyear b Hilfenhaus 0
Lambert run out (Marsh) 1
Smith c Denton b Marsh 0
Bracken c Denton b Marsh 7
Bollinger not out 0
Extras: 11 (5lb, 6nb)
Total: 173 (50.5 overs)
FOW: 1-8, 2-24, 3-40, 4-51, 5-152, 6-152, 7-166, 8-166, 9-167, 10-173
Bowling
Geeves 13 - 4 - 40 - 2 (6nb)
Hilfenhaus 14 - 5 - 35 - 3
MacDonald 7 - 3 - 15 – 1
Denton 5 – 0 – 21 – 0
Butterworth 5 – 1 – 27 – 0
Marsh 8.5 1 – 33 – 3
Tasmania 2nd innings
Lockyear b Bracken 0
Wells not out 2
Macdonald not out 0
Extras 5
Total: 7(one wicket, 6.5 overs)
FOW: 1-7
Bowling
Bollinger 3.5 – 3 – 1 – 0
Bracken 3 – 2 – 1 – 1