Vics still in hunt for Shield win: Finch

Victoria are 8-353 in their second innings, an overall lead of 128 with one day left in their Sheffield Shield match against South Australia at the MCG.

Aaron Finch

Opener Aaron Finch was dismissed three runs short of his second Sheffield Shield cricket century. (AAP)

Victoria have the faint sniff of a stunning turnaround against South Australia in their Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.

The door was left slightly ajar for the home side at stumps on day three, with the Bushrangers reaching 8-353 in their second innings.

That gave them an overall lead of 128 with one day left.

SA remain in the box seat after skittling Victoria for 118 on day one.

But Bushrangers opener Aaron Finch said if they can build a lead of more than 150 before lunch on Monday, Victoria would have a chance.

The keys for Victoria will be spinners Fawad Ahmed and Jon Holland, while Finch said SA batsmen Michael Klinger and Phil Hughes must fall cheaply.

"This is why we batted first on a good wicket," Finch said.

"If we can get our lead up above 150, we're confident that we can bowl them out.

"If we knock them (Klinger and Hughes) over first, hopefully there are some jitters in their camp and we'll see how we go."

When Glenn Maxwell was dismissed for 82 after tea, Victoria were 6-294 and it looked as though SA would start their second innings before stumps.

SA had waited 29 overs before taking the new ball as they tried to exploit some reverse swing.

Gary Putland (3-93) bowled Maxwell in the first over with the new ball.

Victoria were 8-310, but Holland's unbeaten 32 from 30 balls in a 43-run stand with Scott Boland (13no) boosted the home side's prospects.

Earlier, Finch top-scored with 97 as the Australian one-day and T20 representative finally made Shield runs.

He faced 248 balls - the most in his first-class career.

That is also more deliveries than he had played altogether in his previous 13 Shield innings.

Asked about the glaring difference in form between first-class cricket and the shorter forms of the game, Finch smiled and said he had "no idea".

"If I had any answers, I would have worked it out a long time ago," he said.

"Obviously when you get in a bit of a rut, it becomes quite mental.

"There are some technical things I've been working on, that had to change slightly."


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Source: AAP


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