Richardson shines but Webster puts Tasmania in charge

Jhye Richardson outfoxed Jake Weatherald and Beau Webster but his determined bid to haul Western Australia back into the pivotal Sheffield Shield match might not be enough as Tasmania moved into a strong position on day two.

With a valuable 84-run first innings lead, Tasmania steadied in their second innings after Richardson's early onslaught accounted for Weatherald and Caleb Jewell.

Skipper Jordan Silk made a composed 40 off 51 balls before Webster hit a valuable 55 off 82 balls to ensure the visitors reached stumps with a big lead in a low-scoring contest.

Richardson did eventually have Webster caught in the gully but his best efforts might be in vain with WA set to face a formidable fourth innings run chase.

The bottom-placed teams are desperate for victory in a bid to keep in touch with the pointy end of the ladder. Batting has been hard work on a green-tinged WACA surface with inconsistent bounce and sideways movement.

In his first Shield match in 15 months following a Test return during the Ashes, Richardson was particularly a handful in the conditions and finished with 4 for 41 from 15 overs. He has relentlessly hit a line and length while also producing dangerous movement both ways.

Having played in the Boxing Day Ashes Test, Richardson is pressing for regular national selection as he hopes to have put behind his long-standing shoulder issues.

"I think I've bowled 30 plus overs in the last two days, so it's probably something that I haven't experienced for a while," said Richardson, who has match figures of 5 for 70 off 31 overs. "I'm expecting to be a bit sore tomorrow but, if required, I'm ready to go."

Richardson, who does not have an overs restriction, had a significant workload for a second straight day after Western Australia's first innings lasted just 45.3 overs.

WA's hopes of avoiding a sizeable first innings deficit rested with opener Cameron Bancroft, who had defied the onslaught late on day one as he watched five batters trudge off the field.

But Bancroft fell on the first ball of the second day after inside edging a length delivery from Webster onto his stumps. Towering quick Billy Stanlake steamrolled through the lower-order to leave WA in tatters at 102 for 9 and still trailing by 137 runs.

Against the odds, Corey Rocchiccioli and Brody Couch counterattacked and left a suddenly ragged Tasmania feeling flustered. Rocchiccioli has a knack for making important contributions with the bat and his cavalier style again proved effective.

He received strong support from Couch, who had averaged less than nine in first-class cricket with a highest score of 31. He came close to a new career high as he unfurled several effective sweeps against offspinner Raf MacMillian, playing his second first-class match.

Rocchiccioli and Couch upstaged the specialist batters by making the two highest scores of the innings and their 53-run partnership was comfortably the best.

WA's momentum spilled over into Tasmania's second innings as a pumped-up Richardson continued where he left off on day one when he finished with 1 for 29 off 16 overs.

Richardson immediately found menacing swing, but it was a back of a length delivery that had Weatherald miscuing to fine-leg. It was the second time in the match that Weatherland holed out on the short ball, but this time around he did not allow himself to settle in after facing just eight balls.

Having shown promising signs in the first innings with 44 off 58 balls, Weatherland trudged off the field disappointed to cap his first match since an underwhelming Ashes series.

With his tail up, Richardson had Jewell nicking off as part of a spectacular opening spell of 2 for 6 from five overs. Much like the first innings, Silk rescued Tasmania with another watchful performance to prove that the surface could be negated.

Silk had been a notch above the rest in this match, but even his steely defence was helpless against a cracking Richardson inswinger that smashed into the off-stump.

Richardson sported the stunning figures of 3 for 9 from six overs, but he started to tire after that although his wicket of Webster and a late burst from Cameron Gannon has given WA faint hope.