An important win at the toss, an impressive all-round performance with bat and ball, and poor batting from its opponents, has helped Tasmania into a commanding position after just one day's play of the Pura Cup clash against Victoria here in Hobart today.

By stumps, the Tigers were within a single run of claiming first innings points, having reached 3/139 on the back of a fine unbeaten half century from Michael Dighton (63*), in response to the visitors' paltry total of 139 all out.

The Tasmanians claimed their first win at the toss of their entire first-class season, and used it to maximum effect on a Bellerive Oval pitch that supplied its traditional early assistance to the seamers. Though it wasn't a wholly auspicious start, with many deliveries bowled too wide on either side of the wicket, the locals made up for lost ground in the middle session, sealing a collapse which saw nine of their opponents' wickets tumble for the addition of just 79 runs.

The Victorians had been 1/60 only 14 minutes before lunch but completely lost their way with a mixture of poor strokes and lapses in judgement. Pacemen Damien Wright (3/53) and David Saker (2/30) were the destroyers-in-chief, though debutant left arm spinner Xavier Doherty (2/23) was also impressive in his first outing, perhaps never more so than when his very first touch at the elite level brought the run out of Jason Arnberger (1) with a brilliant one handed pick-up at mid wicket and direct hit at the bowler's end.

Doherty went from hero at that moment to villain within 40 minutes when he grassed a regulation catch as Matthew Elliott (29) drove to him at mid off with his score at 22. And then back to a starring status again when he took the last two wickets to fall with flighted deliveries that deceived a pair of Victorian tailenders.

Only Elliott and Matthew Mott (30) genuinely stood firm for Victoria.

A disciplined Victorian attack hit back quickly when it dismissed Jamie Cox (2) padding up and followed it with the wickets of an aggressive Scott Mason (30), also ostensibly trapped in front without playing an authentic stroke, and Shane Watson (4) to a feathered hook down the leg side.

But Dighton, together with a patient Daniel Marsh (28*), defied the visitors in an unbroken 54-run liaison. His play was near-flawless on a pitch still offering significant seam movement.

The news simply went from bad to worse for the visitors. Key bowler Damien Fleming (1/15) tore his hamstring in just his sixth over and looks like doing no more bowling in the match. Colin Miller, forced to substitute for him, didn't look best pleased by events either after being made twelfth man at the outset of what proved a dismal day for the Bushrangers.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd