Victoria have eight wickets in hand and just 98 runs short of claiming another Sheffield Shield title, but the Bushrangers aren't breezing to victory.
Chasing 193 to win, Victoria meandered their way to 2-95 at stumps on day four in Adelaide, meaning South Australia need something of a miracle to stop them becoming the first away team in 11 seasons to win a Shield final.
But even with Wednesday appearing to be nothing more than a formality on what is still a solid batting wicket, Victorian coach David Saker says the team still have a nervy night's sleep ahead.
"It is a good position, but the opposition just keep coming at us and they're making it extremely hard for us, which you probably expect in a final," Saker said.
"They've been really brave and their bowlers have really stood up, so it's going to be a tough battle tomorrow."
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The Redbacks, without injured strike bowler Chadd Sayers, weren't without their chances on Tuesday afternoon at Glenelg's Gliderol Stadium.
They dropped Marcus Stoinis (17 not out) twice and Travis Dean (54) once, and on two occasions had run-out appeals denied by the third umpire.
Then, with only a second and fifth slip in play, first-innings centurion Peter Handscomb (18 not out) edged a ball through first slip at catchable height with 10 minutes remaining.
It was a session that seemed to encapsulate a match where the Redbacks' bowlers regularly beat Victoria's bats, but had little fortune in converting their chances to wickets.
"We've had a bit of luck as well along the way," Saker said.
"We've played and missed probably more times than they did. But we've hung in there really tough as well which is testament to us."
Earlier, left-arm spinner Jon Holland was the best of the Bushrangers bowlers, taking 5-76 to help dismiss the Redbacks for 251 in their second innings.
He captured the prized scalp of Alex Ross (71) on the final ball before lunch to claim his five-wicket haul, after already dismissing Mark Cosgrove (16), Travis Head (1) and Jake Lehmann (0) on Monday evening and Alex Carey (0) on Tuesday morning.
Only a valiant 96 from South Australian opener Jake Weatherald, who combined with Ross for 121-run fifth-wicket partnership, gave the Redbacks any real chance of setting a large target after they conceded a 59-run first innings deficit.
However when the rookie opener was caught trying to smash Fawad Ahmed (2-35) across the line, the Redbacks' hopes of setting a competitive target appeared to go with him.
