Victoria, nicknamed the Bushrangers, would be as guilty as Ned Kelly of daylight robbery if it makes this month's Pura Cup cricket final.

But two days of outstanding cricket have put it back into outside contention.

Resuming at 2-313 on day two against Western Australia at the MCG, Victoria declared at 6-450 and then rolled the Warriors for 175.

WA then slumped to 2-16 at stumps, still needing another 259 to make the Bushrangers bat again.

It was easily Victoria's best performance of the season so far, achieved without injured front-line pacemen Damien Fleming and Mathew Inness.

But captain Matthew Elliott talked down his side's final chances, stressing the need to focus on continuing the improvement and to forget about what must happen to other teams.

"The worst thing we can do is focus on the other results because mathematically speaking we're just about out," he said.

"We've got to get everything we can out of this game and then go to Brisbane and hopefully do the same thing."

Victoria is second-bottom with just two wins, eight points behind second-placed South Australia, and six behind third-placed WA.

After this, Victoria will play Queensland in Brisbane to end its scheduled season.

Apart from needing several other results in the next fortnight to go its way to reach the final, Victoria also must beat the Bulls at home for the first time since 1983.

Provided the Bushrangers can maintain their form of today and yesterday for the rest of this match, they will have the ideal lead up to the Brisbane trip.

Overnight batsmen Brad Hodge and Jon Moss took their third-wicket partnership to 168 before Moss was run out for 59 and Hodge went soon after for an innings-high 131.

Victoria then stalled briefly at 6-395, but Ian Harvey's 61 from 56 balls meant a declaration soon after lunch and he started the WA top-order collapse in his stand-in role as opening bowler.

Matthew Mott took a great catch in the gully off Harvey to remove Mike Hussey for a duck, while young paceman Will Carr snared the crucial wicket of Simon Katich, caught behind for five.

Mick Lewis took two wickets and the Warriors were 4-40, with a 77-run partnership between Chris Rogers (26) and Ryan Campbell stalling the collapse.

Young leg-spinner Bryce McGain then had Rogers stumped and he also caught Campbell off Moss for a top-score of 63.

Brad Hogg made 30, while Lewis finished with 3-40 and McGain took 3-46.

Elliott said it was difficult to pinpoint how the last two days happened.

"But the group has really clicked together and is working well," he said.

"Will Carr has just been fantastic, to come into the side and take wickets with the new ball.

"We're backing ourselves a little bit more to take chances; if we can keep doing that, we'll really find some big improvements in the team."

Scott Meuleman fell to Carr on the fourth ball of the second innings for a duck and nightwatchman Jo Angel did not want to go after falling lbw to Harvey.

Hussey (nine) and Katich (no score) will face a mammoth task tomorrow to rescue the match.

Meanwhile, Victoria reported Fleming's shoulder surgery yesterday was successful.

He underwent an arthroscopy and it revealed a cartilage tear and tendonitis of the shoulder, according to team doctor Trefor (Trefor) James.

© 2002 AAP