Career-best figures from Mitch Owen sparked another stunning Tasmanian fightback on day two of their Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria, but a gripping contest remains firmly in the balance at Ninja Stadium.
Owen claimed 4-58 as the Tigers ripped through Victoria's batting line-up in the middle session, taking 9-91 to dismiss the visitors for 207 and secure a valuable 34-run first innings lead.
However, another top-order wobble left Tasmania reeling at 4-14 in their second innings before Monday's record-breaking heroes Ben McDermott and Jake Doran again came to the rescue.
The pair guided the Tigers to 4-39 when bad light ended play 30 minutes early, leaving the hosts with an overall lead of 73 runs heading into Wednesday's third day.
McDermott (12 not out) and Doran (14 not out), who combined for a state-record 166-run eighth-wicket partnership on day one, will again be central to Tasmania's hopes of building a competitive target.
Earlier, Victoria appeared in complete control after dominating the opening session.
Following the early dismissal of Campbell Kellaway, Marcus Harris (54) and Ollie Peake (50) combined for a 107-run partnership as the visitors cruised to 1-107 at lunch.
But the momentum shifted dramatically shortly after the interval when Harris edged Gabe Bell to skipper Jordan Silk at second slip.
Marcus Bean (3-32) then had Peake chopping onto his stumps without another run being added, before Owen produced a superb delivery that nipped back and crashed into Matt Short's stumps.
From there, the wickets continued to tumble as Tasmania's quicks turned the match on its head, claiming the final nine wickets for just 91 runs.
“If you look at the two days we’ve played so far, it’s been so many momentum changes,” Owen said.
“Lunch yesterday, we’re thinking… 7-40, how are we going to get close to getting back in this?
“And then at the end of the day, it’s probably an even day almost. Similar today, lunch they’re 1-100.
“It’s been a crazy game, lots of swings, but very proud of our efforts and we’re showing some toughness, which is good.”
Owen was particularly pleased with his ability to bounce back after an expensive opening spell, finding his rhythm after lunch to produce his best figures in first-class cricket.
The all-rounder admitted he was still adjusting to the demands of bowling longer spells, having not been required to shoulder such a workload for some time.
“It was nice to get a couple there in the end. Obviously didn’t start great, I was a bit expensive off my first three overs and then regrouped at lunch and came back out and got into my rhythm.
“It’s been a while since I’ve rolled that many over, especially in a row, that second spell. It was nice to get back into the swing of it and obviously happy to contribute to bowling them out for a nice total.”
But just as Tasmania appeared to have seized control, Victoria's quicks ensured the momentum would swing once more.
Caleb Jewell fell for a duck, while skipper Jordan Silk (1), Nivethan Radhakrishnan (7) and Teague Wyllie (5) were also caught behind the wicket as the Tigers slumped to 4-14.
It brought McDermott and Doran together once again, less than 24 hours after their extraordinary first-innings rescue mission had lifted Tasmania from 7-45 to a total of 241.
The experienced pair survived the late onslaught to ensure the Tigers finished the day in front, although plenty of work remains if the hosts are to build a match-winning advantage.
Play resumes at 10am Wednesday.