Victoria is on top at stumps on the opening day of its Weet Bix Sheffield Shield clash against NSW at the SCG having restricted the hosts to a modest first-innings total of 261.
The Bushrangers will resume day two at 0-3 after Chris Rogers (2 not out) and Nick Jewell (0 not out) survived a nervous two-over period at the end of the day.
Having won the toss and elected to bat the Blues found themselves in immediate strife when both openers were removed prematurely.
A much-needed 98-run stand between Peter Forrest and Usman Khawaja steadied the ship before the loss of three wickets in the middle session handed the ascendancy back to the Bushrangers.
Things looked grim for the Blues when skipper Dominic Thornely edged a searching delivery from Andrew McDonald to depart for 19 in the second over after tea.
A quick-fire knock from Daniel Smith threatened to save the day as the hard-hitting gloveman and all-rounder Grant Lambert (48 not out) added a precious 83 runs for the seventh wicket.
Just as the Blues looked to be back in the contest the session turned sharply in favour of the visitors when Smith picked out Nick Jewell on the square-leg boundary off a Dirk Nannes (4-57) short-ball to depart for 56.
Nannes was at it again soon after dismissing Beau Casson for a duck to claim his fourth victim of the day and leave the NSW tail exposed to the second-new ball.
Clint McKay did the rest removing Nathan Hauritz and Burt Cockley to finish with the impressive return of 4-33 off 22 overs.
Earlier, Peter Forrest was the first of three Blues batsman to fall in the middle session as the Bushrangers began to dominate proceedings.
All the momentum stayed with the visitors when danger man Khawaja (66) mistimed a hook shot and was well caught behind square by a diving Nick Jewell off the bowling of Darren Pattinson (1-56).
Moises Henriques was the next to go when he also miscued attempting to hit across the line for 16, to hand Nannes the breakthrough and leave the hosts in trouble at 5-146.
The day began disastrously for Greg Mail when he was trapped in front by Nannes without scoring from just the fifth ball of the innings.
Teenage sensation Phillip Hughes (1) joined his opening partner back in the pavilion two balls later when he was well caught at second slip by skipper David Hussey off the bowling of McKay.
Victoria
Rogers not out 2
Jewell not out 0
Extras: 1 (lb 1)
Total: 3 (0 Wickets; overs 2)
Bowling
Cockley 1 - 0 - 2 - 0
Hauritz 1- 1- 0 - 0
New South Wales innings
Hughes c Hussey b McKay 1
Mail lbw Nannes 0
Forrest c Wade b McKay 33
Khawaja c Jewell b Pattinson 66
Thornely c Wade b McDonald 19
Henriques c Wade b Nannes 16
Lambert not out 48
Smith c Jewell b Nannes 56
Casson Quiney b Nannes 0
Hauritz c Wade b McKay 5
Cockley lbw McKay 0
Extras: 17 (lb 10, nb 2, w 5)
Total: 261 (10 wickets; overs 91.1.)
FoW: 1-1, 2-1, 3-99, 4-116, 5-146, 6-158, 7-241, 8-246, 9-255, 10-261.
Bowling
Nannes 18 - 2 - 57 - 4 (w 5)
McKay 22.1 - 11 - 33 - 4
Pattinson 16 - 3 - 56 - 1 (nb 2)
McDonald 17 - 1 - 45 - 1
Holland 14 - 5 - 36 - 0
Hodge 4 - 0 - 24 - 0