Rain spoils Blues' push for a win

Rain should ruin any chance of an outright result in the Pura Cup cricket match here between Victoria and New South Wales.

Showers forced four delays today, with more than two and a half hours of play lost, and the forecast is also grim for tomorrow's final day.

Victoria was 4-69 at stumps, with Ian Harvey 12 and Darren Berry 10, after losing 3-0 in a brief session of play soon after tea.

Stuart Clark had 2-15, while Nathan Bracken and Stuart MacGill had a wicket apiece and Brad Hodge scored 26.

NSW was dismissed for 338 before lunch, giving it first-innings points and a lead of 79 after Victoria made 259.

Michael Bevan top-scored with 128, Mathew Inness impressed with three wickets this morning for innings figures of 4-61 and Harvey snared 3-53.

The Blues resumed on 5-257 and Brad Haddin (33) sent them past Victoria's first innings score with a four in the second over of the day.

Victorian captain Matthew Elliott was unable to field again this morning because of a stomach virus that had him laid up on a massage table in the changerooms.

Under competition rules he was unable to open the batting, but if he is well enough and any play is possible tomorrow, he will be the next man in for Victoria.