The incumbent Test No.6 stonewalled the Tigers attack with a defiant 171 not out to leave the visitors five wickets and 50 runs short of an outright win at Karen Rolton Oval.

SA finished day four at 5-347 with Liam Scott (40) unbeaten alongside Head when the close was called.

While a number of his state contemporaries have already put their hands up for a spot in Australia's middle order with Shield performances of note, none could shine a light to Head.

Batting with a fractured finger, Head counter-attacked and then batted out the day in a 265-ball, 23-boundary effort sure to earn brownie points with Australian selectors.

He brought up 5000 Sheffield Shield runs along the way and at one stage was batting at close to a run a ball before tempering his innings when wickets fell.

Test captain Tim Paine, himself a centurion in the match, paid credit to his Australian teammate.

"I thought Trav handled it beautifully, particularly with the ball spinning in at him all the time," Paine said.

"He played it very very well so I suppose it was good signs from an Australian point of view.

"I thought he controlled the game and batted with discipline.

"Sometimes Heady can give you a chance and that's what we were hanging onto as a group but today he just batted us out of the game."

After Henry Hunt (46) was out in the first session, bowled by Peter Siddle (2-59), Head took charge and combined with Callum Ferguson (40) for a 129-run stand.

At 3-259, SA looked poised to battle on for a draw but when Jackson Bird (2-53) picked up the wickets of Ferguson and Harry Nielsen (0) in the one over, the scales tilted towards a Tasmania win.

But Head remained resolute and was rewarded with an early finish after his side took the 49-run lead.

Australian Associated Press