Victoria was left clinging to its faint hopes of qualifying for next week's Sheffield Shield final after New South Wales grabbed a 172-run advantage on day two of their clash at the MCG.
The Blues reached 6 for 149 in their second innings at stumps on Friday, with Peter Nevill unbeaten on 24 and Stephen O'Keefe 4 not out.
Nic Maddinson top scored with 51 on a lively pitch which yielded 26 wickets in two days.
Big wins this weekend by Queensland over South Australia and Tasmania against Western Australia would make it tough for fourth-placed Victoria to squeeze through into a top-two finish.
"You can't worry too much about it. We've still got plenty to be done here," Peter Siddle said.
"We've got to chase down these runs tomorrow or Sunday morning and see how we go (for the final).
"It is probably going to be hard for us.
"Hopefully the rain clouds (come) in the other two places (in Hobart and Brisbane)."
New South Wales coach Anthony Stuart said he was rapt with the performance of occasional medium-pacer Rohrer, who claimed a career-best 4 for 13,
but less pleased with his batsmen.
"We'd still like to have six or seven wickets in the shed but we don't and we have to deal with that," he said.
"Anything over 200 is going to be a good chase. Ideally we should be better-placed than we are so we're disappointed."
New South Wales began its second innings with a lead of 23 but lost Phil Hughes for a third-ball duck, caught at third slip off Jayde Herrick's bowling.
Usman Khawaja (33) was caught behind off Andrew McDonald and Steven Smith fell for 11, lbw to Will Sheridan.
Test quick Peter Siddle (2 for 38) trapped Maddinson lbw and Rohrer (17) was stumped in a bizarre manner.
Quick-thinking wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb threw the stumps down from backward square leg as Rohrer wandered out of his crease and Siddle unsuccessfully appealed for a lbw decision.
Spinner Jon Holland removed David Dawson lbw for 4 to make it 6 for 143 in the following over.
Rohrer and debutant paceman Chris Tremain (3 for 61) combined to bowl Victoria out for 185 in reply to the Blues' first-innings total of 208.
Skipper Cameron White top scored for Victoria with 39 and Glenn Maxwell was unbeaten on 26.
Fourth-placed Victoria had resumed on Friday on 1 for 22 against the fifth-placed Blues, who are out of contention for a spot in the final from March 16-20.
AAP
Tags: cricket, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted March 09, 2012 19:36:45
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