Victoria have won by a comprehensive 186-runs after bowling out the Redbacks early after lunch for 258 to claim maximum points on the final day of their twilight Sheffield Shield clash at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
The Redbacks were remaining stubborn at the crease and kept their faint hopes of an unlikely victory alive when they headed into lunch at 5-212.
However Victorian orthodox bowler Jon Holland tore through Redbacks shortly after play resumed claiming three wickets as the hosts lost 5-46.
Holland finished with 4-74 from 26.2 overs while his captain Cameron White picked a late wicket to claim 1-13 from seven overs including one maiden.
The win propels the Bushrangers into third on 18 points and gives them every chance of a Shield final appearance with three fixtures remaining.
The Redbacks resumed play half an hour earlier at 3-113 following an early finish due to rain on day three needing a colossal 332 runs for victory.
Up against it on the final day given Saturday's top-order collapse of 3-31, the Redbacks started relatively slow as Ferguson and Cooper struggled to build upon their 82-run partnership.
The weather looked bleak but the middle-order duo had time to reach their half-centuries before the heavens opened in an unexpected flurry after an hour, delaying play for 20 minutes.
The delay and rain-soaked conditions didn’t affect the pair as they continued to spread the ball around Adelaide Oval through a variety of textbook shots.
The patient build-up eventually came undone however through a freak catch from Victorian captain Cameron White to dismiss Ferguson short of only his second Shield century this summer.
Ferguson pushed a Will Sheridan (1-21 from nine) delivery just wide of off-stump that edged to second slip where White dove full-stretched to his right to take a phenomenal one-handed catch and put an end to the Redbacks batsman's 132-run fourth wicket stand.
Inspired by their breakthrough the Bushrangers attacked the Redbacks looking for another quick dismissal.
Victorian Holland had a big shout when Cooper was on 85 for caught behind, but the umpire deemed the ball to have beaten the bat.
Holland got his man eventually just before lunch when Cooper tried to turn away a leg-sliding delivery that found the edge back to Bushrangers' orthodox bowler.
Redbacks debutant Travis Head (21) hit a flurry of boundaries along with wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite as the pair attempted to steer the run chase back on track.
However they were halted moments later when Head drove and edged a Scott Boland delivery to Ryan Carters behind the stumps for Victoria.
Undaunted by the loss Crosthwaite continued in reckless form as new batsmen and tailender Joe Mennie also tried to salvage the Redbacks' faltering innings.
Their gung-ho approach almost proved costly when Mennie drove straight back at White but the recently axed Australian T20 skipper was unable to hold onto a tough chance.
Crosthwaite and Mennie's quick-fire stand came to an end an over later when Holland bowled the Redbacks gloveman for 28.
Holland then cleaned up Mennie (12) and Williams (4) before White dismissed Jake Haberfield for a duck after the Redbacks speedster played a poor shot to Carters.
