MELBOURNE, Oct 30 AAP - Victorian opener Jason Arnberger went through plenty to score a vital century on day one of the Pura Cup cricket match against Tasmania.

Arnberger made an unbeaten 109 at the MCG as the Bushrangers reached 5-258 at the close.

His 100-run stand with Cameron White (46no) lifted the Victorian run rate and gave the home side a slight advantage.

"It was probably one of my best (centuries), it's always hard to get one at the MCG - it's probably the toughest (in terms of) accumulating my runs," Arnberger, 29, said.

Arnberger was dropped before he had scored, driving to Graeme Cunningham at silly mid-off.

Cunningham could not hold the difficult chance despite several grabs at the ball.

Victoria won the toss, but the dry pitch had uneven bounce and the outfield was slow.

A rearing delivery from Shane Watson after tea also hit Arnberger on the right hand, giving him another ice pack at the end of the day's play to go with the one for his pre-existing knee injury.

"It was very tough, the wicket looked pretty good but it didn't play as well as it looked," Arnberger said.

"You get a shot to play, hit it into the wicket and it wouldn't go anywhere.

"You're playing good shots and getting no value - the outfield was pretty slow as well.

"They bowled pretty well, they just bowled line and length (on) off stump and set straight fields."

Arnberger was stranded on 35 for 40 minutes and Victoria inched to 4-142 at tea.

But he and White lifted the run rate and the centurion noted his partner made the batting look much easier.

Arnberger also lifted the tempo, staying in the 90s for only 10 balls.

He had faced 294 balls in 370 minutes, hitting eight boundaries.

It was Arnberger's sixth first-class ton and a welcome return to form, having managed only 401 runs last season at 28.64.

This was his first Cup century since the 2000-01 season.

Victoria brought in White, a leg-spinner, as a late replacement for Jon Moss and omitted paceman Will Carr because of the dry pitch.

The Bushrangers will also have the trump card of master leg-spinner Shane Warne.

"It's going to get harder and harder to bat on that," Arnberger said, adding the pitch was already turning.

Fellow opener Matthew Elliott made 35, while paceman Damien Wright was the only multiple wicket-taker with 2-62.

© 2002 AAP

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.