With a superbly crafted maiden first-class century, opening batsman Greg Mail has left the door open for an outright victory for New South Wales after three days of the Pura Cup match against Tasmania here at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Mail's ascent to a score of 176 was the defining individual performance of the third day and has left only Tasmania's ten second innings wickets standing between the home team and success.

Albeit that it was compiled on a pitch that still remains well in favour of the batsmen, Mail's stout innings compelled him to ally enormous powers of concentration with his neat, compact technique. But, over more than eight hours at the crease, he performed the job brilliantly to pilot his team to a first innings score of 530 and a lead of 161 runs. The Tasmanians made their way to a mark of 0/33 by stumps but will need to bat well throughout tomorrow's play to avert defeat.

If maximum points are to be secured, though, then the Blues will need to display considerably more imagination in the field and with the ball than either side has done to this stage of the match. Again today, the weather was gloomy and the outlook equally so for the bowlers. Because not only was the batting sound but the pitch was on the docile side again at best.

Resuming with his score at 87, Mail was not necessarily the only batsman who looked in command. In fact, for much of the early part of the day, it was young tyro Michael Clarke (41) who stole the show with the series of accomplished off side drives that he added to his solidity in defence.

After a watchful start, Mail capped a dogged and resolute innings by reaching the landmark of three figures for the first time at this level forty-eight minutes into the day. His was a painstaking knock - it took him 309 minutes and 268 deliveries to reach his hundred - but wonderfully effective against an attack that battled to breach his defences throughout.

"I haven't batted for eight hours before; it was certainly my longest innings," said Mail after play.

A university student in the third year of a physiotherapy course, Mail believed that the task of resisting the Tigers' attack for eight hours was possibly more difficult than exams he undertook earlier in the week. He stated that his concentration levels certainly "came and went a bit" during his vigil.

"There were periods where I felt I was concentrating pretty well and then it sort of waned for a few overs. But I managed not to get myself out in those times," he said.

He enjoyed a life at 108 when second slip fieldsman Michael DiVenuto was unable to grasp a hot chance to his right from the bowling of paceman Shane Jurgensen (4/113). He also played and missed occasionally outside the line of off stump, especially in the period which followed the Tasmanians' decision to take the second new ball after eighty-six overs. Otherwise, he was formidable in defence, patient in waiting for bad balls, and discreet in his selection of strokes.

It was not long after Mail surpassed his previous best first-class score of 97 that the Tasmanian bowlers seemed to become resigned to their fate. Captain Jamie Cox persisted with his pacemen and seamers in the main but it wasn't until after sweeping showers had forced a sixty-six minute interruption on either side of lunch that wickets finally arrived. To make the predicament worse, dashing batsmen Shane Lee (25), Brad Haddin (56) and Don Nash (22) were literally in full swing and building on an already imposing lead by the time that spinners Daniel Marsh (1/104) and Shannon Tubb (0/70) were introduced.

Of the Tasmanian bowlers, only Jurgensen and Shane Watson (2/63) were genuinely impressive. On his first-class debut for Tasmania, Jurgensen overcame his nervous start of yesterday to produce two fine afternoon spells in which he beat the bat consistently. Four wickets, including the prize scalp of Mail with a lovely off cutter through the gate, were due reward for his accuracy and wholehearted approach. Watson, who continues to add to the fine early reputation that he is establishing for himself, also battled away vigilantly with his sharp medium pace. Otherwise, it was another mostly unflattering exhibition, although Mail did pay tribute to Tubb, revealing that the youngster's variety had made him difficult to counter.

New South Wales captain Lee strangely opted not to effect a declaration as things transpired. This guaranteed that the last half hour of his team's display with the bat seemed to do little more than simply reduce the time available to it to lay waste to the Tasmanian second innings. The Tigers' openers, Cox (16*) and Dene Hills (15*), underlined the point that they may have been left with too few overs to face, safely negotiating the fourteen that they were required to see out at the end of the day.

Nonetheless, needing as they do another 128 runs to even wipe out their deficit, matters will still not be straightforward for the visitors on the final morning. They will need particularly to guard against any form of collapse to match the one that scuttled their first innings yesterday morning. In hindsight, it was that crash that cruelled their victory aspirations in this contest; another might well dash any hopes of a draw.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd