It wasn't Wednesday and Walcott, Worrell and Weekes were not immediately in sight. But this was a day for the 'W's at the Sydney Cricket Ground nonetheless, as Damien Wright and Shane Watson combined to overcome the impact of a magnificent Mark Waugh innings and propel Tasmania to a tense 15-run first innings win.

Admittedly, paceman David Saker's impact was also particularly significant.

But, in the midst of an action-packed six hours of cricket, the third day of this Pura Cup match between New South Wales and Tasmania will probably be best remembered for what happened at 3:47pm.

For it was at that moment that Waugh, Wright and Watson were enjoined in the passage of play that all but settled a gripping battle for the first points of the two teams' seasons.

Waugh (168), endeavouring to plot New South Wales' course to the two points from the ruin of a mid-innings collapse, lashed fiercely at a Watson (3/88) leg cutter. Wright, at gully, worked hard and low to his left; flung an outstretched hand at a rapidly travelling ball and conceived a truly magnificent catch.

Suddenly at 9/462 as it chased Tasmania's 504, New South Wales was all but out of a contest that Waugh and fellow centurion Michael Bevan (102) had helped to ignite with a pair of superb innings.

"He was just going so well that I suppose we needed something really big to happen to get him out," said Wright of his remarkable interception.

"I was just thrilled; he hit it pretty well and the next minute it was literally in my hands!

"To come here in the first match of the year and take two points off these guys is great; we're really really happy with that. It's a brilliant start."

Though Jamie Cox, Dene Hills, Ricky Ponting and Bevan had all notched hundreds before him, Waugh ventured to - and beyond - the landmark with an aplomb that made his the best century of this match.

He was at his artful and elegant best, showing no ill effects from the finger injury he suffered two days ago and hitting the ball with a majesty that verged on the sublime. Classical drives, especially through the covers, were matched by cuts and leg glances of the highest quality.

Importantly, he also fashioned hope for his team where little had seemed to exist through the preceding two days of this match. With Bevan, he crafted a stand of 81 for the third wicket; he added another 113 for the fourth with Mark Higgs (37); and then led the way in further unlikely stands of 71 and 31 with tailenders Stuart MacGill (34) and Stuart Clark (31*) respectively.

"I don't think I've been in better nick," Waugh said at the end of play.

"I was happy with the innings and happy with how I hit the ball. Just a bit disappointed not to get us over the line for two points."

Ultimately, it was Wright's catch and a disastrous mini-collapse which saw four wickets tumble for the addition of only 20 runs in mid-afternoon which scuttled the chase.

Higgs, Shane Lee (17), Brad Haddin (0) and Don Nash (0) departed in what amounted to little more than the batting of an eyelid as Saker (4/115) and Watson combined to suddenly extract life from a generally benign pitch.

MacGill then frustrated the visitors for 43 minutes by hitting out agriculturally - and surviving twice as he offered catches to Cox at third slip off Watson - and Clark also helped to narrow the margin between the teams. Ultimately, though, it was not enough.

Tasmania had reached 0/30 in its second innings by stumps, ensuring that it will now take an overall lead of 45 runs into the final day.

But it appears that the match might now be as good as over anyway, given that either team's prospects of claiming wickets in quick succession over the closing six hours shape as remote.

Which is a shame in a number of ways. Because, more than once over three days of high quality cricket, this game has crystallized what it is that is good about the domestic game in Australia.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd