Australian cricket's interminable pay talks were still on the edge on Tuesday night as negotiating parties from both sides went back and forth on key terms for a new pay deal.
Nothing has been signed despite widespread speculation Cricket Australia and the players union were due to hold a joint press conference on Wednesday to announce an end to the pay war.
Sources have told Fairfax Media CA were trying to change the definition of revenue sharing, which was not received well by the Australian Cricketers Association.
CA has relaxed its threat for the issue to go to arbitration but that remains an option should satisfactory progress not be made on Wednesday on outstanding points of difference.
This has been met with scepticism from the ACA which believes sufficient progress is being made to avoid the already protracted saga heading to a third party and being prolonged.
Relations between both sides remain frosty with negotiations being conducted amid a climate of mistrust.
Players have successfully argued that adjustment ledger funds of $29.5 million from the current memorandum of understanding be paid now and not carried forward, and for back pay to be awarded to the 200-plus players who have been unemployed since July 1.
It's understood players will be given a 30 per cent share of revenue, up from a sliding scale of 27, though they are now absorbing 120 more female players who are entering the new agreement.
CA sources, however, believe this will be a serious modified agreement that gives the governing body flexibility to allow them to invest more into grass roots cricket and have gender equity pay.
It's believed match expenses and the money CA spends on its integrity unit are among streams of revenue that have been excised.
The ACA executive met on Tuesday morning and, happy with the deal, were waiting for CA to sign off.
The latest stumbling block continues the frustration of recent weeks where both sides had believed genuine breakthroughs were being made only to be blind sided by the other party.
However, progress has been expedited since CA chief James Sutherland officially came to the negotiating table.
Players believe he has taken a conciliatory tone in discussions but has met stumbling blocks from the CA board.
Time is running out to reach an agreement which would allow the two-Test series in Bangladesh to be saved. Players are due to head into camp in Darwin next week.
Test captain Steve Smith reiterated in Tuesday night that the team would not travel to Bangladesh until the dispute was resolved.
The Australia A team boycotted their South Africa tour in July after a new Memorandum of Understanding could not be agreed and Smith says the senior team will skip the Bangladesh tour, which is scheduled to start on August. 27.
"I'd like to [tour], but as we've said for a long time, we need to get the deal done first," Smith told Fox Sports.
"I don't think it would be fair for us to go away after the (Australia) A guys were very strong on not going away on their tour, for us to then go away I don't think that's fair.
"CA know this, they've been told this. I told (CA's Executive General Manager Team Performance) Pat Howard personally that this was how things were going to be if there wasn't a deal done."
Cricket faces a major battle in the coming months to mend relationships between players and board, which many believe to be at its lowest points since World Series Cricket.
Smith remained hopeful that a solution would be found.
"It's had some difficult moments," the 28-year-old said. "When this is all over with, I have to deal with Pat Howard, I have to deal with the (CA) Board and speak to (CA chief executive) James Sutherland, so I have to be careful with what sort of lines I tread.
"Talking to the two parties and trying to figure out what each of them want and the best way forward. It's been a long process and hopefully it comes to a close soon."
Questions are already being asked which of the major protagonists in this costly saga will be able to keep their posts in order for bridges to be rebuilt.
There are also recriminations at state level with many players believing senior administrators have been overly vocal and aggressive during the impasse.
The pay war has also cast doubt on CA's chief negotiator Kevin Roberts' ability to succeed Sutherland in the top job as it has fractured his relationship with players.
A Cricket Australia spokesperson said "progress is being made with the ACA but we will not comment on details of the negotiation, nor will we enter into any media speculation on the negotiation".