Tim Paine and Gerard Denton have almost certainly consigned Victoria to the ignominy of becoming the first state in history to lose four consecutive Ford Ranger Cup finals with star performances in the 2009/10 decider at the MCG on Sunday.
Paine (100) scored a magnificent century to help the Tigers to an imposing total of 6-304 and Denton (3-23) has ripped through the Victorian top order to leave the hosts reeling at 4-105 after 25 overs of their reply and requiring another 200 runs for an unlikely triumph in what is their eighth consecutive domestic final.
Andrew McDonald (36) and Matthew Wade (three) are the not-out batsmen and will have to get a move on if the Bushrangers are any chance of victory with the required run rate now ballooning to eight an over.
In what would be a history-making win, Victoria would have to record both the greatest successful run chase in the history of the Ford Ranger Cup final and at the MCG respectively - it achieved latter feat earlier this season also against the Tigers.
But Denton picked up in the second innings where Paine left off in the first, dismissing openers Chris Rogers (14), Aiden Blizzard (one) and Victoria’s best batsman Brad Hodge (14) in the space of 22 balls to leave the hosts reeling at 3-35 and Tasmania in reach of its fourth one-day title.
Blizzard’s brief innings came to an end when he was brilliantly caught at backward square leg by Rhett Lockyear who flew to his left for a two-handed screamer.
Denton struck again four overs later when Rogers played on and then had Hodge caught by Ed Cowan at mid-off.
That left Hodge in second place on the all-time list for most runs scored in a season with 622 – 61 shy of New South Welshman Phil Jaques’ record of 683 in 2005/06.
McDonald and Aaron Finch (28) went about rebuilding the Vics innings with a steadying 55-run fourth-wicket partnership but what little momentum the hosts had garnered was lost when the latter was caught by Bailey at backward point off James Faulkner (1-17).
Earlier, Paine couldn’t have picked a better time to hit his first ton of the season.
It only included nine boundaries but it was a chanceless and potentially match-winning knock.
The Tigers were also aided by valuable contributions from Michael Dighton (80), who shared in a 132-run opening stand with Paine, and Cowan (61 off 55 balls), who put on 111 runs for the third wicket with Paine off just 95 balls.
The Tigers were 2-201 after 40 overs before they plundered 103 off the final 10 overs, including 10 fours - six scored by Cowan - and two sixes.
McDonald (3-59) and John Hastings (2-67) were the only wicket-takers for Victoria and both bowled 10 overs each.
Hastings conceded 16 runs in the last over of the innings as Rhett Lockyear (28 not out off 13 balls) finished the dig in style with a huge six over mid-wicket on the final ball to go with his three boundaries in what was a very handy late-innings knock.
But the match could have taken on a much different complexion had Dighton not been dropped twice by Wade (on nine) off Darren Pattinson (0-36 off four overs) and Aiden Blizzard (on 42) off Hastings in what could prove to be match-defining moments.
Hastings finally got the