A commanding 154-run partnership between Nick Jewell and Rob Quiney - the biggest opening stand in the competition this season - has given titleholder Victoria a stranglehold on the Sheffield Shield final against Queensland at the MCG.
The match was in the balance at the start of play on Friday when Queensland resumed its first innings with high hopes of overhauling the Vics' 305.
But after rolling the Bulls for 257 the Bushrangers assumed control of the contest through Quiney (73) and Jewell (70) who combined to occupy the crease for almost three hours.
They were dismissed midway through the final session in successive overs by Bulls rookie Cameron Boyce who yorked Quiney with a well-flighted leg-break then had Jewell, who's almost certainly playing his last match at first-class level, caught at slip by Chris Simpson.
But, by then, the foundation was in place.
Aaron Finch (54 not out) and David Hussey (63 not out) capitalised on the openers' good work with an unbeaten 118-run third-wicket partnership of their own to lift Victoria's score at stumps to 2-273.
The hosts lead by 321 runs overall with eight second-innings wickets in hand and will be intent on doing on day four what they failed to achieve in the first innings - to bat the Bulls into the dust.
History suggests the Bulls are already gone.
The highest fourth innings score to win a Shield final was Victoria's 2-239 in the 1990-91 final at the MCG against New South Wales, while the best in all matches at the 'G' was the Vics' 7-435 in 1931-32, also against NSW.
Both teams, however, have suffered injury setbacks that may yet have a bearing on the course of the final.
Bushrangers trump Damien Wright has pulled a hamstring, while a torn calf muscle will prevent Bulls all-rounder James Hopes from bowling in Victoria's second innings.
Hopes will bat with a runner if required, but faces a three-week injury layoff which casts a cloud over his availability for the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies at the end of next month.
The setback will also hit the 31-year-old in the hip pocket with the likelihood that he will forego $300,000 in match payments if, as expected, he's unable to fulfil his IPL commitments with Kings XI Punjab.
Wright's prospects of playing a role with the ball in the visitors' second innings will depend on the result of scans.
The 34-year-old, who has claimed 35 wickets for the Bushrangers in six matches since Christmas, pulled up short when bowling to Bulls tailender Chris Swan in the first hour of play on Friday.
He was unable to complete the over - his 22nd for the innings - and left the field clutching the back of his right leg.
Wright's loss places significant strain on the Vics' attack and amplifies the onus on the Bushies' bats to build as big a lead as possible - though the Bulls are just as disadvantaged by Hopes' setback.
Queensland was bowled out 20 minutes before lunch, 48 runs shy of the hosts' first innings.
Resuming at 6-199, Ben Cutting opened his shoulders and quickly advanced the score almost single-handedly to 220 when he lost partner Simpson padding up to Wright.
The Bulls skipper had failed to add to his overnight score of 16.
John Hastings chimed-in with the wickets of Swan (11) and Luke Feldman (4), and Andrew McDonald wrapped-up the innings when he bowled Boyce for four, leaving Cutting unbeaten on 35.
McDonald returned the best figures for the Vics with 3-64.
Jewell and Quiney managed to survive a testing 10 minutes at the crease before lunch, but launched themselves into the second session with 26 runs from the first three overs.
That set the tone for a very entertaining couple of hours for the small crowd at the MCG with bat prevailing over ball for the first time in the match.
The openers brought up their 50 partnership in 60 minutes and the hundred in 107.
Jewell was the first to 50 from 87 balls with eight fours while Quiney's innings included 10 thumping boundaries and a six.
Victoria first innings 305
Queensland first innings
Broad b McGain 80 (206)
Townsend b Pattinson 1 (12)
Carseldine c McDonald b Wright 7 (7)
Lynn lbw McDonald 40 (63)
Hopes c Hussey b McDonald 17 (18)
Hartley lbw McGain 24 (95)
Simpson lbw Wright 16 (70)
Cutting not out 35 (74)
Swan b Hastings 11 (28)
Feldman c Quiney b Hastings 4 (6)
Boyce b McDonald 4 (12)
Extras: 17 (4b, 8lb, 5nb)
Total: 257 (10 wickets, 98 overs)
1-3, 2-14, 3-73, 4-93, 5-158, 6-195, 7-220, 8-243, 9-249, 10-257
Bowling
Wright 21.4 - 10 - 48 - 2 (1nb)
Pattinson 17 - 3 - 53 - 1 (3nb)
McDonald 26.4 - 9 - 64 - 3
Hastings 18.2 - 2 - 51 - 2 (1nb)
McGain 14 - 5 - 29 - 2
Victoria second innings
Jewell c Simpson b Boyce 70 (143)
Quiney b Boyce 73 (79)
Finch not out 54 (68)
Hussey not out 63 (85)
Total: 273 (2 wickets, 68 overs)
1-154, 2-155
Extras: 13 (9lb, 1nb, 3w)
Bowling
Swan - 17 - 1 - 54 - 0 (3w)
Cutting 14 - 5 - 58 - 0 (1nb)
Feldman 10 - 1 - 50 - 0
Simpson 12 - 3 - 42 - 0
Boyce 15 - 1 - 60 - 2