Doolan-Wade v Ferguson-Hunt sets up tantalising final day

A big unbeaten century from Alex Doolan, a determined 89 from Matthew Wade, and then enterprising knocks from Henry Hunt and Callum Ferguson set up a tantalising final day of the Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and Tasmania at Adelaide Oval.

The Redbacks have not won any of their past 16 Shield matches, but with a lead of 311 and a minimum 94 overs remaining in the match, stand-in captain Jake Lehmann has a chance to script a victory for the hosts, though Doolan and Wade underlined their threat in any prospective fourth-innings chase.

Doolan, who has in recent years made a habit of scoring runs just as the national selectors are deliberating on their squad for the first Test of the summer, found the boundary 19 times in a stay that soaked up 403 balls and was only ended when Wade called a halt to the innings to allow SA to set-up a target.

Wade's own stay, for 89 runs across 256 deliveries, was a useful knock for him ahead of the Gabba Test.

Handed a first-innings advantage of 145, the Redbacks tore into the Tigers' attack in the final 26 overs of the day, as Hunt followed up his first-innings century with more, while Ferguson made his first score of note since being recalled to the side in the previous round against New South Wales.

They can expect to bat for perhaps another half an hour on the final morning to push SA's lead somewhere beyond 350.