West Australian youngster Luke Pomersbach says he took plenty of satisfaction from a grinding innings which prevented Victoria taking control on the opening day of their Pura Cup clash at the MCG .

After being sent in, the Warriors were 9-272 at stumps with 23-year-old Pomersbach's 89 the mainstay of the innings.

He and all-rounder Darren Wates (31 not out) put on a 64-run seventh-wicket stand, the biggest of the day, to help rescue WA from a precarious 6-177 at tea.

Pomersbach, 23, in his sixth first-class match, was coming off a blazing maiden century at close to a run a ball in WA's outright loss to New South Wales at the WACA last week.

But he said having to work harder on a slow pitch in overcast conditions which assisted the bowlers was more satisfying.

"Definitely, it was pretty hard work ... it was good I got through a couple of little tough periods," Pomersbach said.

"It's a shame I threw it away at the end when I had my eye in, but it was really good batting out here on the MCG."

His dismissal came when he slashed at a wide ball from paceman Gerard Denton in the first over with the second new ball, only managing to edge it to keeper Matthew Wade.

He said WA's score seemed a reasonable total on a difficult pitch.

"It was hard work, compared to the WACA it's a lot different so I had to watch the ball onto the bat a bit more," he said.

"I think we've done well to get close to 300, hopefully we can get a couple more on the board tomorrow ... on a wicket like that I think it's going to be a really good score, anywhere around 300."

Pomersbach and Wates were assisted by some sloppy Victorian fielding, each being dropped twice, with none of the four chances particularly difficult.

Paceman Dirk Nannes was the worst culprit, spilling the simplest of chances at mid-on from Gerard Denton's bowling when a mistimed pull shot from Wates went to him head-high at slow pace.

It undid some of his earlier good work with the ball, the left-armer having had both retired Test opener Justin Langer (27) and WA captain Adam Voges (33) caught behind off near-perfect deliveries.

Nannes, Denton, fellow paceman Shane Harwood and part-time medium pacer Rob Quiney each took two wickets, with Quiney, bowling for the first time in first-class cricket, notching 2-22.

Earlier, Australian middle-order batsman Mike Hussey's move to the top of the order failed when he was out for a duck on the third ball of the match, LBW to Denton.

It was his first game at state level since injuring a hamstring in the semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa last month.

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