Western Australia sniffed a remarkable Sheffield Shield victory on a sedate WACA pitch, but Tasmania hung on to force a draw.

After only 18 wickets fell in the first 10 sessions, the match unexpectedly came alive late on day four when WA’s attack tore through Tasmania’s stuttering batting order.

Tasmania wobbled at 70 for 5 early in the final session before Beau Webster and Brad Hope guided them to safety.

“It was nice to hang on,” Webster said. “It was a different WACA wicket…it was a different sort of challenge than we are used to coming out west.”

Emerging offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli continued his strong start to the Shield season as he targeted the rough to particularly trouble the left-handed batters. He finished with five wickets for the match and looms as a bowler of interest for the national selectors.

Speedster Lance Morris impressed in his comeback having not played first-class cricket since March as he works his way back from a back injury that ruled him out of the Ashes.

Morris, whose workload was managed, bowled with trademark hostility and hit speeds regularly around 140kph. He took three wickets from 32 overs for the match, but will be rested for WA’s next Shield match against South Australia in Adelaide starting on October 26.

The late fireworks almost overshadowed a lifeless WACA surface where batting unusually dominated almost throughout. Captains Sam Whiteman and Jordan Silk came close to making double centuries in high-scoring first innings from both teams.

It was a different pitch used to the sluggish surface of the Shield opener when WA easily beat Victoria. The ground is still feeling the effects of Australian rules football being played on it during the off-season.

“With the footy taking its toll there was no grass on the wicket,” Whiteman said. “Knew it was going to be flatter, but I thought we did really well there to put Tasmania under pressure to nearly get a result.”

WA should feel buoyed with their stirring late efforts with the prospect of an outright result appearing forlorn when the final day started.

Trailing by two runs, there was no sign of an early WA declaration as the normally aggressive Ashton Turner – Perth Scorchers captain – was content with a conservative approach.

But Turner and Charles Stobo, who hit a maiden first-class half-century, put the foot down before lunch as Tasmania resorted to nine fielders on the boundary.

After WA declared at lunch with a lead of 135 runs, all eyes turned to Tasmania opener Caleb Jewell who fell to Morris for a golden duck in the first innings.

Jewell’s nerves eased when he elegantly drove Morris on his second ball as it appeared the match was about to merely go through the motions. But any thoughts of a breezy net session was put to bed when opener Tim Ward was trapped lbw by Rocchiccioli.

Towering left-armer Liam Haskett menaced with his bounce and he quickly accounted for Charlie Wakim and Silk, who was displeased after being caught at short-leg off his hip.

It was left to Jewell and Matthew Wade to steady Tasmania as they batted through to tea. But the twists continued when Jewell was spectacularly bowled by a searing Morris yorker then Wade was trapped lbw by Rocchiccioli in a decision he clearly disagreed with.

Jewell has scored just 27 runs in his last three innings after starting the Shield season with an 87 against South Australia. He is deemed a contender to replace opener David Warner, who is set to retire from Test cricket this summer.

WA were on a roll before Webster, Hope and, ultimately, the pitch thwarted their bid for a memorable victory.