Western Australia coach Wayne Clark said he was shocked at Tasmania's dismal batting performance after the Warriors skittled the home side for 86 on day one of their Pura Cup match at Bellerive Oval.

The visitors were 4-132 when bad light forced an end to play with 14 overs remaining.

Tasmania fought back to snatch three wickets for one run late in the day.

Western Australian opener Chris Rogers will resume on Thursday on 90, batting with David Bandy who is yet to score.

The Warriors began their batting strongly with skipper Justin Langer (35) and Rogers forging a 111-run partnership before Langer's demise.

The duo brought up first-innings points in 17 overs - the same time it took Tasmania to score 12 runs.

Clark said his side had bowled well, but he was shocked with Tasmania's total despite a greenish wicket.

"It hasn't been a wicket that a side should've been bowled out for 86 on," he said.

Clark said a last-minute comeback by Tasmania had "turned the game on its ear".

"For them to get three quick wickets like that it just gives them that bit of hope whereas it was looking a bit daunting for them," he said.

"It's unfortunate we've let the initiative go but I'd still rather be in our position than their's."

The Tigers lost their last nine wickets for a ghastly 43 runs.

The batting performance handed them the unwanted record of a new lowest score against Western Australia, beating the previous 1985-86 score of 102.

It only just tops the side's lowest-ever Bellerive score of 76, set in 1991-92.

Tasmania struggled from the outset after WA sent them in to bat.

Openers David Dawson (8) and Michael Di Venuto (25) were both out before lunch and the innings crumbled from there.

Fast bowler Steve Magoffin (3-15) led the Warriors' after-lunch ambush, taking the consecutive wickets of Michael Bevan (9) and George Bailey (0) and just missing his hat-trick the next ball to Dan Marsh.

It didn't take long for Magoffin to get his man though and Marsh was removed the next over without scoring.

Ben Edmondson (3-29) also submitted a class performance for the visitors.

Coach Tim Coyle slammed the umpires' light decision, saying the suspension of play ended a wicket spree that could have put the Tigers back in the game.

"We had 14 overs left and we had the momentum," he said.

"If they are the rules, they're the rules but I'm not sure it was that dark.

"If we had've picked up another couple of wickets tonight, we were back in the game but we didn't have that opportunity."

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