A stunning wicket taking burst from left arm quick Mark Harrity and another fine Greg Blewett innings has continued to afford South Australia an edge over Victoria in the teams' all-important Pura Cup match here at the Adelaide Oval. After the third day's play, the Redbacks have first innings points and a lead of 161 runs in the bank at a scoreline of 3/157 in their second innings.

This was after Harrity (4/55) and Blewett (80*) intervened heavily. The former helped snatch the last four Victorian first innings wickets for a total of just fourteen runs to give the South Australians a thrilling win in the tense battle for the two points, while Blewett assisted his side to recover following a shaky second innings start on a pitch providing increasing encouragement for the bowlers.

Chasing a target of 220 or more certainly won't be easy on the final day. Despite the fact that Blewett is approaching twin tons, there hasn't been a century stand in the game and, on a pitch that has already been used this season for a four-day encounter, scoring at anything above the match average of three runs an over won't be straightforward.

Only three batsmen have really flourished in this match: Blewett, Matthew Elliott and Ian Harvey (87), who all but steered his side to first innings points.

In a chaotic forty-five minutes following the lunch break, Victoria lost 4/25 to be all out for 336, after seemingly cruising at 6/306 at lunch.

This situation, in effect, was set up by an excellent partnership of eighty-nine runs in even time between Harvey and skipper Paul Reiffel (34) who carried the score from a staggering 6/222 to within thirty runs of the two points.

It must be said that Reiffel survived a vociferous appeal on nought for a bat-pad catch off Peter McIntyre (2/107). SA captain Darren Lehmann had just placed himself at silly point, Reiffel played the ball with a combination of bat and pad to him and the appeal was rejected. Lehmann's subsequent action in throwing the ball to ground in an act of disappointment may cause him to be lighter in the pocket. We'll have to wait on that one.

Harvey lost Reiffel straight after lunch and, two overs later, John Davison (1) played an undignified swish to point. Michael Lewis (6*) helped add twenty-three with Harvey before the final bit of drama unfolded in Harrity's eighteenth over - when five runs were needed.

The left-arm quick sent down three bouncers in a row, more to prevent a run than inflict any physical damage. The fourth ball was short again, about shoulder height, and Harvey escorted to the ball to a deep backward point, where Jeff Vaughan held a great catch. Harvey looked mortified as he left the crease and would have had every reason to feel that way when, two balls later, Mathew Inness (0) edged to wicketkeeper Graham Manou to give the home side an unlikely first innings win.

Harrity deserves due credit for his effort. He was the last of the regular bowlers to be used in the morning session - fifteen minutes before lunch - and he fully deserved his best figures for the season.

In their attempts to set up a fourth innings target for the Victorians to chase, Shane Deitz (1) went to an excellent inswinger and then David Fitzgerald (15) chopped to Matthew Mott in gully who all but stood on his head to take a blinder of a catch. At 2/29 there were some tremors, particularly as doubts surround the injured Chris Davies' ability to bat. But these were allieviated with a ninety-nine run stand between Blewett and Lehmann (42). For a time it seemed SA could be 200 ahead at stumps, but the demise of the left hander to one which kept low with fourteen overs to go put a halt to those thoughts. Vaughan (13*) was content to play carefully rather than forcefully in adding twenty-nine with his senior partner before the close.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd