Tait snares three late wickets to put SA in control

ADELAIDE, March 7 AAP - Three last-session wickets from young South Australian paceman Shaun Tait left Tasmania facing a huge challenge to remain competitive after day two of their Pura Cup cricket match at Adelaide Oval today.

At stumps, the Tigers were 5-155 in their first innings, still needing another 196 runs to avoid the follow-on after SA declared its first innings at 6-500 at tea today.

Tasmania's chances of staying in the match rested mainly with Michael Di Venuto, who had played aggressively to be unbeaten on 80 from 114 balls at stumps, with Sean Clingeleffer with him at the crease on one.

SA started today at 1-266, and again dominated with Mark Higgs the star with the bat today, scoring an unbeaten 112 from 94 balls, with 16 boundaries and one six, ahead of the declaration.

The last 100 runs of the South Australian innings came in 100 balls.

Opener David Fitzgerald, who batted throughout the opening day, top-scored with 147 and skipper Greg Blewett made 88, with both dismissed in today's first session.

Tait then ensured SA finished the day in complete control when he dismissed Tigers opener Scott Mason for one in the second over of Tasmania's innings, and then came back to take two wickets in two balls with the opening over of a new spell, six overs before stumps.

He dismissed Chris Bassano, LBW for two with a yorker, and Daniel Marsh, caught on the leg side for a golden duck, to cause the Tigers to slump from 3-143 to 5-143.

"It started to reverse when I came back on ... I thought if I keep it up on the toes it's likely one will hit them on the toes and be a chance," Tait said.

"The Marsh (wicket) was a bit of luck, it was just an ordinary ball outside leg stump, he hit it pretty well, and (Ben Johnson) was just there."

Tait said the pitch had given the bowlers much more assistance in the final session today than during SA's innings, and he predicted it would be even harder for Tasmania's batsmen to survive and save the game on the third and fourth days.

"It was a lot better to bowl on today rather than yesterday ... tomorrow it will be even better to bowl on, the deck's probably going to crumble up and keep a bit lower again," he said.