Nathan Lyon has snared the best figures of his Sheffield Shield career, helping NSW roll Victoria for 200 late on day two of the SCG clash.
Lyon finished with figures of 6-21 from 16 overs, having starred in a stunning collapse of 8-48.
The haul won't bring the offspinner any closer to his 400th Test scalp, which remains one wicket away, nor any comfort after his 100th Test marked Australia's series-deciding loss to India.
But it will serve as a confidence-boosting reminder of his capacity to shift the course of a match.
NSW reached 1-22 at stumps on Wednesday, having reduced Victoria's lead to 13 runs when play eventually ended at 7pm (AEDT) because of multiple rain interruptions.
Lyon survived 14 balls as nightwatchman, having walked out to bat instead of Steve Smith following Nick Larkin's dismissal at 6.41pm.
The tweaker ensured the visitors lost all momentum generated by former Test batsman Nic Maddinson's blistering knock of 77, which spanned 80 balls and just 116 minutes.
Lyon removed Matt Short, Will Sutherland, James Pattinson, Mitchell Perry and Jon Holland in quick succession.
The 33-year-old also found Marcus Harris' edge to claim the first wicket to fall on Thursday.
Captain Peter Handscomb reached 24, putting his side in the box seat to build a first-innings lead far bigger than 35 runs, before his dismissal to Trent Copeland ignited a dramatic slump.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was next to go, victim of a sensational direct hit from Josh Hazlewood at mid-off.
Fraser-McGurk was run out at the non-striker's end, having briefly contemplated a quick single before a scrambling Hazlewood recreated the magic trick he performed at this year's SCG Test.
Sean Abbott, who earlier ended Maddinson's whirlwind knock, fired out Seb Gotch before Lyon compounded Victoria's woes.
Maddinson came unstuck immediately after a brief rain delay in the morning, trying to belt his 12th boundary but instead offering a rising edge that slipper Steve Smith snaffled.
Maddinson's knock came against the state that axed the left-hander in 2018, but more notable was that the Blues' attack featured Lyon, Hazlewood, Abbott, Copeland and Mitchell Starc.
Starc, playing for the first time since he struggled at the end of Australia's four-Test series against India in Brisbane, copped the brunt of the onslaught.
The left-armer, who finished with figures of 0-71 from 14 overs, had 0-44 from six overs at the end of his morning spell.
