A top-order collapse has left South Australia with a huge task of chasing down a mammoth victory target of 445 on the final day of their twilight Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria at Adelaide Oval.
The Redbacks recovered to be 3-113 at stumps on day three after openers Tom Stray (nine) and James Smith (zero) along with captain Michael Klinger (five) departed in the first eight overs to leave the hosts reeling.
Victoria's pace duo of Andrew McDonald (1-21 from six overs) and Jayde Herrick (2-27 from five) tore through the top-order but Callum Ferguson (49 not out) and Tom Cooper (48 not out) have steered the hosts back on track with a stubborn 82-run partnership.
The job is still well and truly ahead of them though with their state requiring another 332 runs for a win.
The Redbacks were sent in to bat following tea after the Bushrangers declared their second innings on 4-231 courtesy of Rob Quiney's second century (119) in as many days.
The hosts' run chase got off to a disastrous start when Smith was bowled for a golden duck by Herrick in the opening over.
The early blow was a sign of things to come Klinger was dismissed shortly after when his middle stumped was ripped out by another full-pitched Herrick delivery.
Stray was next to depart barely two overs later when McDonald's out-swinger wrapped the 25-year-old on his pads as the Redbacks were reduced to 3-31.
Ferguson in particular has not been fazed by the monumental task at hand, notching five boundaries from a variety of textbook shots to be on the cusp of making his third Shield half-century of the summer.
After bowling out the Redbacks for 224 earlier in the day the Bushrangers chose not to enforce the follow-on, electing to bat and build on their first-innings lead of 213.
It was a decision that paid dividends as Quiney backed up his glittering first innings effort of 114 with another century that included 12 fours and three sixes.
It was case of deja vu for the Redbacks when Quiney combined again with the talented Peter Handscomb (39) for a 105-run partnership, following their 225-run stand on day one.
Eager to salvage something from the game, Redbacks fast bowlers Peter George and Joe Mennie were in a fiery mood claiming three shouts for lbw in the opening overs.
However the ice-cool Quiney had an answer to everything thrown at him, belting a series of early boundaries as the run rate ticked above five an over.
The Bushrangers lost Chris Rogers (32) just before lunch but once play resumed Quiney snatched another boundary to bring up his half-century and the team's 100.
Quiney's master class was epitomised by the 25th over when he thumped Redbacks debutant spinner Cameron Williams for back-to-back identical sixes off short deliveries well over the mid-wicket fence.
The 29-year-old then smacked another six over square leg to reach his ton from only 98 balls.
The Redbacks eventually dug out a wicket when Handscomb was bought undone by Jake Haberfield's pace.
Haberfield followed up his breakthrough to finish as the pick of the Redbacks bowlers with 2-57 from 12 overs, when he added to Bushrangers captain Cameron White's (18) woes with a full toss that the recently axed Australian T20 skipper whacked straight to Smith at short cover.
Redbacks paceman George put an end to Quiney's glorious knock with the final ball before tea when the left-hander flung and edged a wide ball to Stray at fourth slip.