O'Neill bags five but late Victoria collapse in the gloom keeps NSW in touch

Fergus O'Neill continued to push his case to be part of an extended Ashes squad with yet another five-wicket haul while Scott Boland bagged three to hand Victoria an important lead in their Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales at the Junction Oval.

After the pair had scythed through the NSW top-order on the opening night, including Boland bagging Sam Konstas for a duck, O'Neill continued the carnage on the second day picking up 5 for 26 while Boland claimed 3 for 59 as NSW were bowled out for just 163.

It handed Victoria a first innings lead of 77 which they pushed to 149 for the loss of only one wicket into the evening session but then suffered a late collapse under gloomy skies, losing 4 for 21 before bad light stopped play with 45 minutes left. Liam Hatcher claimed another three wickets to go with his five on day one.

At the start of the day Matthew Gilkes and nightwatcher Ryan Hadley provided stubborn resistance in the first hour but when O'Neill replaced Boland from the northern end he showcased why he is the reigning Sheffield Shield player of the year. After a close shout for caught behind he pinned Hadley lbw for 5 off 54 balls with a delivery that jagged sharply in off the seam.

O'Neill could have had Ollie Davies out three times after he was dropped twice at cover by Harry Dixon. But he did not survive his third chance in 15 balls when he edged another probing delivery to Peter Handscomb at second slip.

Gilkes had fought harder than any other NSW batter to reach 41 off 98 deliveries before becoming O'Neill's fifth scalp. O'Neill angled in from around the wicket with the keeper up to the stumps to prevent Gilkes from batting outside his crease to negate the impeccable length. Gilkes edged to Will Sutherland at first slip to hand O'Neill his eighth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket and bring his bowling average back under 21.

Boland was more expensive than usual when he returned for his second spell of the day with Will Salzmann and Jack Edwards playing positively. After coming together at 96 for 6 they raced to a near run-a-ball 62-run stand. Boland looked visibly frustrated as they drove him on the up without much fear on a surface that had offered plenty of sideways movement.

Salzmann finally paid a price on 33 when he didn't offer a shot, trying to leave a good length delivery from Boland that nipped back sharply to clip the off bail.

Edwards then ran out of partners to be left stranded on 33, as the last three batters, including injury substitute Charlie Stobo, fell for ducks with Boland claiming one of them while Mitchell Perry picked up the other two.

Victoria were then cruising at 72 for 1, with a lead of 149, as Campbell Kellaway and Marcus Harris took control after the early loss of Dixon despite dark clouds lingering over Junction Oval for most of the afternoon.

Kellaway played impressively to reach 47 while Harris rode his luck having been dropped by Gilkes off Nathan Lyon before tea. But his luck ran out on 20 off 80 balls when he cut Hatcher straight to backward point. Kellaway chopped Hatcher on not long after, three shy of a deserved fifty, before Ollie Peake was cleaned bowled through the gate two balls later attempting a loose flat-footed drive on the up.

The umpires checked the light but allowed play to continue in the gloom. Handscomb then gloved Hadley to Gilkes attempting a pull shot. Three balls later the umpires sent the players off for bad light with Victoria only 170 in front with just five wickets in hand.