Weatherald falls late after Kellaway and Harris centuries

Jake Weatherald's last bid to push for the opening Ashes Test was undone by a brilliant Fergus O'Neill delivery after centuries to Campbell Kellaway and Marcus Harris put Victoria in the driving seat at stumps on day three against Tasmania at the Junction Oval.

For the second time in the match, Tasmania's openers were forced to negotiate a short new-ball burst before the close after a long day in the field. For the second time in the match, Weatherald was undone by a superb delivery with O'Neill pitching on middle and nipping away to catch Weatherald's outside edge. Will Sutherland held the low juggling chance at first slip.

It left Weatherald with scores 0 and 12 in the match, after three half-centuries in his first four innings of the summer, ahead of the first Test squad being picked next week. It also left Tasmania at 28 for 1 needing a further 327 to win on the final day.

Victoria set the visitors 355 on the back of an excellent 195-run partnership between Kellaway and Harris. Kellaway, 22, continued his rise to becoming one of the best domestic openers in Australia over the last 12 months with a third Shield century in 18 innings since moving to the top of the order for Victoria 11 months ago.

Since the start of the 2021-22 Shield season, only Test opener Usman Khawaja averages more in Shield cricket as an opener than Kellaway's 46.11, with Cameron Bancroft (42.37), Weatherald (40.51) and Daniel Hughes (38.20) the only others to average above 35.

"I think my game is pretty well set up to play against the new ball," Kellaway said after play. "I like to try and bat for a long period of time, so I like having that role of being the guy to try and anchor for the side."

Harris posted his 33rd first-class century, his eighth at the Junction Oval, but his first at No. 6 having slid down the order after experiencing some back tightness prior to batting on the third morning.

"It's probably just got a bit worse in the last week, just wear and tear and old age," Harris said. "I think it's dad back. Hanging onto the kids too much."

The pair came together with Victoria struggling at 91 for 4, leading by 115 with only six wickets in hand, after Tasmania's bowlers threatened to break the game open in the morning session.

Nightwatcher Mitchell Perry edged Gabe Bell to second slip for the first breakthrough of the morning. Peter Handscomb battled to 3 off 20 balls before Riley Meredith exposed his defence. Handscomb showed all three stumps batting outside leg and got an outside edge to a ball that would have missed leg stump and nicked it into the top of off.

Ollie Peake then nicked a beauty from Brad Hope which angled in and seamed away to leave Victoria struggling. But Kellaway and Harris then put together a chance-less stand to rip the game away from the visitors.

Kellaway was impressive throughout, remaining disciplined in the face of some excellent bowling. He absorbed pressure and then pounced when the bowlers strayed, striking 16 fours and two sixes in his 268-ball knock.

"I thought he batted brilliantly today," Harris said. "Tricky little half an hour last night, and started really well today. He works really hard on his game.

"And then I think you saw the shots he can play once he's in. He's got good game. He's played well on one-day cricket. He's a good package."

Harris meantime thrived in a different role in the middle-order having spent so much of his career grinding against the new ball.

"I've done it a fair bit in one-day cricket," Harris said. "I've done it a bit in county cricket. I've enjoyed it a little bit."

After Kellaway and Harris set the game up, O'Neill and Perry put Tasmania's top three under enormous pressure with some high-class new ball bowling. Weatherald tried to be positive but was undone by an outstanding delivery. O'Neill was unlucky not have more, beating the bat several times and even hitting the stumps when Tim Ward pulled out of a delivery very late, but it was ruled a dead ball.

Perry was equally unlucky at the other, beating the bat three consecutive times at one stage. But Ward and Caleb Jewell survived to set up a fascinating chase on the final day