Tasmania on top in Hobart Shield contest

Ben McDermott and Jordan Silk have batted Tasmania into a strong position after the side's rookie Sheffield Shield quicks routed South Australia in Hobart

The Tigers lead by 169 runs at stumps on day two after earlier dismissing the Redbacks for just 136.

South Australia lost a stunning 7-37 in Wednesday's second session, with skipper Travis Head (49) playing a lone hand.

Head would no doubt have preferred his team mates to hang around a bit longer in his final hit-out ahead of Australia's first Test against India on December 6.

Still, the 24-year-old, who made his Test debut against Pakistan in the UAE, was last week guaranteed a spot in Australia's top six by national coach Justin Langer.

He scored 86 and six in the previous Shield match against Western Australia and three single digit scores in Australia's ODI series against South Africa.

Gabe Bell finished with 4-29 from 16.1 overs, while debutant Alex Pyecroft took 3-36 including a wicket in his first over.

The Tigers finished the day at 3-120, with Jordan Silk (49) and George Bailey, who is yet to score, at the crease.

In his return from national limited overs duty, McDermott hit a quick-fire 54 on a tricky Bellerive Oval deck.

South Australia looked solid at 3-77 at lunch but it all went pear shaped after the break.

Pyecroft sparked the collapse when he had Jake Lehmann (28) edging to slip.

Tom Cooper, Alex Carey and Joe Mennie then fell in consecutive overs without scoring.

Head was given out cutting Riley Meredith (1-23) to wicketkeeper Tim Paine but was visibly disappointed with the umpire's decision.

"I didn't think I hit it. It is what it is though," he said, adding: "On a wicket that's offering something the whole time we weren't good enough."

Pyecroft had his maiden first-class wicket when he caught and bowled opener Conor McInerney off his fourth ball.

"There was a bit of a carry on with the celebration, I was pretty happy," Pyecroft said.

The Tigers scrapped 185 on day one after being sent in, with new captain Matthew Wade (43) top scoring.

Redbacks' quick Daniel Worrall took 4-42 to follow a 10-wicket haul for the match against Western Australia in his return from injury.

Worrall (3-32) also has all of Tasmania's second innings wickets.

Tasmania XI: Alex Doolan, Jordan Silk, Ben McDermott, Jake Doran, George Bailey, Matthew Wade (c), Tim Paine, Alex Pyecroft, Jackson Bird, Gabe Bell, Riley Meredith

SA XI: Jake Weatherald, Conor McInerney, Callum Ferguson, Travis Head (c), Jake Lehmann, Tom Cooper, Alex Carey, Joe Mennie, Nick Winter, Kane Richardson, Daniel Worrall