WA fight back thanks to twin tons

Western Australia opener Cameron Bancroft blew his chance of a Test recall, but teammates Sam Whiteman and Jonathan Wells stood up to give Western Australia a chance of victory in their Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania.

At stumps on day three, WA were 5-275 in their second innings, an overall lead of 135 but with just four more wickets in hand after Adam Voges (concussion) was ruled out of the remainder of the match.

WA were in all sorts of trouble at 4-44, before Whiteman (104) and Jonathan Wells (107no) came to the rescue.

But Bancroft's hopes of selection in the third Test appear dashed after he failed to fire in both innings.

The WA opener scored 2 in his first dig and he was out for 11 on Saturday when he was bowled by paceman Simon Milenko.

His Shield average sits at just 13 this season, meaning he'll almost certainly miss the boat when the Test squad for the day-night clash with South Africa is named on Sunday.

But Warriors wicketkeeper Whiteman also looms as a Test smokey after following up his first-innings score of 54 with his third Shield ton.

His 166-run stand with Wells has given WA hope of an unlikely victory, but Whiteman said he wasn't getting caught up on the prospect of being in the Test frame.

"I focused on that a few years ago and it didn't work out well for me," he said.

"I couldn't buy a run. So the focus will be on tomorrow. Hopefully we can bat a bit more and get a good lead, and rock and roll them."

The day would have turned out far differently if not for a change of heart from umpire John Ward.

Wells was given out on 13 when he was adjudged to have edged James Faulkner onto his pad and straight to slip.

Had that decision been upheld, WA would have slumped to 5-83.

But Ward realised he had made a mistake, and reversed the decision before Wells walked off, deeming the batsman hadn't edged the ball.

Wells made the most of the unusual reprieve, digging in defiantly to bring up his maiden Shield century off 230 balls.

Test hopeful Jackson Bird (1-60) ended Whiteman's knock with a pearler of a delivery that trapped the batsman plumb in front.

Meanwhile, Tasmania's Alex Doolan was forced to retire his innings of 202 after he was struck in the jaw by a Jason Behrendorff bouncer just before stumps on Friday.

The 30-year-old Tigers batsman saw out the day, but he was later diagnosed with concussion and ruled out of play on Saturday.

Tasmania started day three at 7-388 in reply to WA's first innings of 262.

But with Doolan unable to bat, Behrendorff cleaned up the tail in swift fashion to dismiss Tasmania for 402.

Behrendorff finished with figures of 5-80 in an impressive display, while Simon Mackin chipped in with two wickets.

Western Australia: Cameron Bancroft, Jonathan Wells, Michael Klinger, Adam Voges (c), Hilton Cartwright, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman, Darcy Short, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Rimmington, Simon Mackin, Josh Nicholas (12th man)

Tasmania: Ben Dunk, Jordan Silk, Alex Doolan, George Bailey (c), Beau Webster, James Faulkner, Jake Doran, Simon Milenko, Hamish Kingston, Cameron Stevenson, Jackson Bird, Cameron Boyce (12th man)

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