This was a day of Pura Cup cricket that started with window cleaners interrupting play. It was one that included a dirty moment for Michael Slater. And it was one that ended with a clean-stroking Michael Bevan interrupting his opponents' dominance.

By the scheduled halfway point of the match against Tasmania here at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a defiant Bevan (80*) had led New South Wales to a score of 2/168 as it began its response to a mammoth 504.

But it was another tough visit to the office for the locals, and most notably Slater and fellow internationals Glenn McGrath and Stuart MacGill.

Slater (19) seemed intent on making up for time lost since his omission from Australia's side for the fifth Ashes Test, smiting and swiping mightily in mid-afternoon as the Blues sought to cash in on a surface that had already yielded three centuries and a tailender's maiden first-class half century.

He unleashed a glorious pull at Damien Wright (1/31) to produce the first six of the match and then thrashed a short wide ball from David Saker (1/42) magnificently to the cover boundary to signal that something special might have been afoot.

Yet his innings came to an equally rapid end when he fenced at a leg cutter from Wright and watched in horror as Ricky Ponting took a fine low catch to his right at second slip.

By this stage, Justin Langer - the man who replaced him in England - had already struck 96 for Western Australia in its match against Queensland in Brisbane. Another potential rival, Jamie Cox, had also already made far more runs here yesterday. Any hopes of an imminent recall for Slater are duly beginning to look slim.

All this on another sunny day and one that again had the combination of fine strokeplay and a generally docile pitch bringing most members of the two sides' attacks to their knees.

Ponting (126), Wright (50) and Sean Clingeleffer (40) dominated the early going for the Tigers, continuing to frustrate a Blues attack that might have been envisaging a swift end to its torment when it removed stubborn left hander Shaun Young (3) only minutes after the resumption.

Much like the window cleaners attending to a series of panes above the line of the sightscreen at the Randwick End, so that trio remained largely unswayed by urgent attempts to shift them.

Ponting was a tower of strength throughout the morning session, driving exquisitely and also playing a succession of glorious horizontal bat shots off the back foot. He survived one imploring lbw appeal from Don Nash (0/111) at 111, and was also perilously close to being bowled around his legs by MacGill (1/140) on 119, but was otherwise in near-complete control.

New South Wales' best chance of removing him always looked as though it might rest in a run out, and the home team duly accepted such a gift from the gods when it arrived twenty minutes before lunch. A Clingeleffer drive to mid on was followed by a moment's hesitation in the running, and a lovely flat throw from Greg Mail to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin proved enough to win the third umpire's approval.

Clingeleffer played a lovely supporting role to underline his continuing emergence, and a belligerent Wright then indulged himself at his alma mater with a whirlwind display that took Tasmania beyond a total of 500.

Matters had become so grim that McGrath (1/106) even appeared destined by this stage to produce his worst-ever first-class analysis.

Bevan ultimately hit back - literally and metaphorically - in a display that included several crashing drives on both sides of the wicket. He was peppered with short deliveries early in his innings, and third slip fieldsman Cox just failed to pluck a desperately difficult chance when the left hander, on 21, awkwardly fended another lifting ball from Shane Watson that surprised him.

But he proved as unflappable as ever, combining with dogged opener Mail (52) to forge a century stand against Tasmania for the second time in successive seasons.

Crucially for his team, he will be back at the crease in the morning.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd