Western Australia was charging towards outright victory and second place on the Pura Cup table at stumps on day three of its match against Victoria.

But any win may come at a cost after wicketkeeper Ryan Campbell didn't take the field after tea with officials saying he was resting a thigh injury as a precautionary measure.

An injury would be inopportune for the 29-year-old who showed he'd caught the national selectors' eye when he was called up for his international one-day debut last Thursday in Sydney.

Victoria has slumped to 5-135 at the close of play, a lead of just 21 runs with Jon Moss (30no) and Darren Berry (24no) to resume tomorrow at the WACA Ground.

A 99-run seventh wicket partnership between allrounder Brad Hogg (84) and paceman Kade Harvey (59) had earlier guided the Warriors to first innings points and set up the match for the home team.

An outright win would move the Warriors (12 points) into second place behind Queensland (22) in the Pura Cup standings, two points clear of South Australia (14) with four matches to play.

Meanwhile, the Bushrangers (six) would remain anchored to the bottom unless they can conjure up a miracle.

It all appeared on track for the Warriors when paceman Jo Angel (2-30) made the early breakthrough in Victoria's second innings.

It was a case of third time lucky for Angel against Jason Arnberger (16) when he finally had the Victorian caught behind after he was dropped off his bowling on seven and 12.

The wicket lifted the 33-year-old to be the fifth highest wicket taker in four day interstate competition.

But the Bushrangers' innings was rocked after tea when quick Matthew Nicholson (2-33) removed Matthew Mott (5) and Brad Hodge (0) with the second and third balls of the session.

It continued the talented Hodge's poor run at the WACA in which he's only made it into double figures in four of 12 domestic first class innings.

Michael Klinger (6) soon followed when Angel trapped him in front.

Matthew Elliott (51) and Moss then held a mini revival before the opener edged a ball to stand-in keeper Michael Hussey for his second catch with the gloves.

The West Australian innings was eventually wrapped up for 386 after resuming at 6-241.

But it need not have been such a sizable lead had Colin Miller not dropped a sitter off Harvey at third man with the total on 6-270.

Miller (2-98) went some way to making up for the indiscretion by trapping Hogg in his first over of the day to lead the Warriors at 7-313.

Captain Paul Reiffel (3-78) bowled Nicholson (14) soon after lunch with an inswinger and had Harvey (59) prodding a simple catch to Arnberger.

It was Harvey's first half century at domestic first class level.

© 2002 AAP