HISTORY will be made no matter who wins the Pura Cup final as Tasmania sets about building a challenging victory target for NSW in Hobart yesterday.
All eyes are on the Tigers as they look to claim their maiden cup title in the first final held in Hobart.
At stumps yesterday Tasmania was 6-203 in its second innings, a lead of 313.
But NSW will also earn a place in the history books if it rattles off the winning runs.
The highest successful fourth-innings run chase in the 24-year Pura Cup final history was made by Victoria in 1990-91 when it struck 2-239 to down NSW at the MCG.
And NSW's winning chances should not be dismissed, judging by its fighting display on day three.
After Tasmania was sitting pretty at 2-107 with an overall lead of 217, NSW struck back to claim 4-69 and remain with a sniff with two scheduled days left.
Fighting half centuries by Tigers opener Michael Di Venuto (64) and vice-captain George Bailey (50) looked to have seized the initiative for Tasmania, only for NSW to fight back through Matthew Nicholson (3-52).
We are in the game now.
We've got some work to do and Tassie are in front but we are clawing our way back, Nicholson said.
It's always hard to chase in the fourth innings. It's a big mental obstacle, but if we bat well we have shown we can get big scores.
He was referring to the Blues' last second-innings dig at Bellerive Oval earlier this month.
In that see-sawing match, NSW was bundled out for 53 in its first innings before plundering 498 in the next.
However, it was still beaten by Tasmania by seven wickets, guaranteeing the Tigers their first home Cup final.
I reckon we can chase anything. We've got an upbeat group of guys and always take that attitude into our cricket, Nicholson said.
We will be going into the chase, whatever it might be, with a positive frame of mind.
Tigers skipper Dan Marsh hardly sounded comfortable with his handy lead.
We are confident we can bowl them out for whatever we set. But I would love it if we put on another 100, he said.
Tasmania has lost all three finals it has played since the decider was first adopted in the 1982-83 season.
It only needs a draw to claim a maiden cup but NSW requires an outright victory to seal its 45th domestic title.
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