South Australia are in trouble at 7-93, still 310 runs behind Tasmania's first innings total on day two of the rain-interrupted Bupa Sheffield Shield clash at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.
Tasmanian all-rounder Luke Butterworth (5-29 from 15 overs including eight maidens) tore through the Redbacks top-order with a menacing five-wicket haul.
Left-arm paceman James Faulkner (2-10 from four) also chipped in for the Tigers as the hosts - bar Callum Ferguson's gutsy 48-run effort – offered little in reply.
Redbacks wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman (six not out) and vice-captain Nathan Lyon (four not out) were at the crease when inclement weather forced an early conclusion to play.
The Redbacks started in disastrous fashion after the Tigers declared at 3-403 following a series of rain delays with former Australia Test skipper Ricky Ponting (85 not out) closing in on a century.
The hosts lost Phil Hughes (three) and Tom Cooper (0) to the ferocious bowling of Butterworth in just the third over of the innings.
Hughes departed after he edged to third slip where Ponting was waiting before Cooper became Butterworth's second victim two balls later when he was trapped lbw.
Sam Miller and Ferguson offered brief resistance with the latter particularly aggressive as he helped the Redbacks to 2-56 at tea.
Miller was dismissed shortly after the break for 23 when he edged Butterworth once more through to Ponting in the slips.
Faulkner snared the vital wicket of Ferguson and then sent Dan Christian packing five balls later for a duck before Butterworth claimed Travis Head (four).
Butterworth completed his five-wicket destruction when he trapped Redbacks captain Johan Botha (0) lbw.
Earlier, Tasmania began the day at 2-354 after centuries from Alex Doolan (149) and opener Mark Cosgrove (104) in conjunction with Ponting's batting masterclass.
Only nine overs could be bowled, though, before the skies opened up in which time Tasmania lost Doolan and added just 20 runs.
Play finally resumed at 2:20pm local time and the wait only seemed to increase Ponting's hunger for a century.
Three balls after restart the veteran pulled high beyond square leg for four before unleashing another pull-shot over the fence at long leg for an astonishing seventh six.
Ponting's slog-fest of seven sixes is the most he has ever hit in a Shield innings, well beyond his previous record of four.
The 37-year-old's dazzling display was put on hold once more though after only 30 minutes of play when the rain trickled down again.
Aiden Blizzard (16 not out) made the most of the seven overs bowled hitting a couple of quick boundaries before the covers returned and his skipper Tim Paine called time on Tasmania's innings.
First Posted 10 October, 2012 7:37PM AEST
