New South Wales have taken a stranglehold on their game against Western Australia thanks to a Peter Nevill century backed up by a disciplined bowling performance in Newcastle.
The Blues have reached 345, having started the day in some trouble at 6 for 189.
In reply Western Australia is struggling at 5 for 158, in a crucial contest between the two top teams on the Sheffield Shield ladder.
New South Wales wrestled the advantage from Western Australia thanks mainly some late-order heroics from wicketkeeper Nevill and fast bowler Gurinder Sandhu.
Coming together at 7 for 193, the pair put on a 116-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Nevill eventually out for 112, while Sandhu cracked 77 off 90 balls, including three sixes.
"A few shots I swung hard at went in my favour, other days you knick them early, so I guess it just clicked today," said Sandhu.
"It was pretty cool to get away with some streaky shots, I guess I got my eye in towards the end.
"It was a great partnership. He started timing the ball really well."
Sandhu says the challenge now is for the Blues to turn the screws on the second-placed WA.
"There is a little bit of turn in the wicket now, and as the game goes on it will turn more, and Nathan Lyon and Steven O'Keefe will come into the game more," he said.
"It is not a wicket where you can blast teams out. So we need to build pressure, so bowling straight and in partnerships."
A costly final session saw Western Australia slip from 1 for 100 in the wake of some tight bowling and two disastrous run-outs, which resulted in the loss of top-scorers Marcus Harris (46) and Michael Klinger (35).
WA's teenage debutant David Moody, who starred with the ball on day one, added a further wicket to his tally to finish with 4 for 60.
"A couple of run outs certainly didn't help, and I thought they (NSW) bowled well towards the end," said Klinger.
"Any run out seems a waste of a wicket so it is certainly disappointing.
"The wicket is playing well so now so hopefully out later guys can play some tough cricket like their tail did."
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