Star allrounder Cameron Green has struck a timely half-century to put Western Australia in the box seat of their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at the WACA Ground.
In reply to SA's paltry first-innings total of 128, WA were dismissed for 299 late on day two, giving them a sizeable first-innings lead of 171.
Green (61 off 94 balls) and Cameron Bancroft (46 off 134 balls) combined for a 101-run stand on a green deck to guide WA out of early trouble, before Hilton Cartwright (73) and Josh Philippe (32) powered home the advantage.
The Redbacks lost pace bowler Brendan Doggett to a suspected side strain early in the day, but Nathan McAndrew picked up the slack to finish with 5-84, ripping through WA's tail.
David Grant was the pick of the bowlers with 4-76.
South Australia made a strong start to their second innings by reaching 0-68 at stumps on day two, reducing WA's lead to 103.
Jake Weatherald (38no) and Henry Hunt (28no) will resume at the crease on Friday.
"He's pretty sore actually," Redbacks coach Jason Gillespie said of Doggett.
"He's going to have a scan tonight. He won't take any further part in the game."
Green looked ominous during a knock that featured seven fours and a six.
But he fell shortly after Bancroft's dismissal when he skied an attempted pull shot off Grant.
Green started the domestic season with a classy 106 against South Australia.
But his next five knocks in Shield and one-day cricket returned scores of two, five, seven, 13 and nine in what marked a rare form slump for the 22-year-old.
His half-century on Thursday was welcome news for both WA and Australia's national selectors, who view Green as a vital part of the Ashes puzzle.
At 5-250, WA looked set to tear the game wide open.
But Cartwright's dismissal LBW to Grant sparked a collapse of 5-49 to give the Redbacks some hope.
Cartwright played two Tests for Australia in 2017, and has started the domestic season in strong form.
But he knows he has plenty more work to do to win back a Test berth.
"I would absolutely leapfrog at the opportunity, but the reality is there's a lot of guys who have made a lot of runs over the last two years, and have made runs for Australia," Cartwright said.
"I'm not expecting it, I'm just going to continue what I've been doing for WA, and if that comes, that comes."
Australian Associated Press
