Chris Pike at the WACA Ground
Queensland has had a successful day with the bat advancing to 5-358 at stumps on day three of its Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA ground in reply to the Warriors' 9-406 (declared).
With Grant Sullivan (hamstring) and Ben Laughlin (stomach muscle tear) unable to bowl in the second innings for the Bulls, Queensland needed to bat all day to avoid any chance of WA sniffing victory, and Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Chris Hartley and Chris Simpson did their jobs beautifully.
On a third-day WACA pitch devoid of any pace, seam movement or life for the bowlers, Broad scored his sixth first-class century before falling for 103, Lee Carseldine continued his great form with 80, and at stumps, Hartley is not out 66 and Simpson is 57.
It was slow going all day for the Bulls until Hartley and Simpson exploded in the final hour to score at almost a run a ball to both notch half centuries and take full toll of a tiring WA bowling attack.
Brett Dorey (2-54), Steve Magoffin (1-53), Marcus North (1-57), Brad Knowles (1-82) and Ashley Noffke (0-62) have all bowled at least 22 overs so far.
Queensland began the day at 1-87 with Nick Kruger out early in the innings for two the night before, but the Bulls faltered early when Wade Townsend was bowled for 23 by Dorey in the second over of the day.
Things improved for Queensland after that with Broad and Carseldine looking comfortable and confident at the crease, despite WA putting down three difficult catching opportunities.
Broad played a tremendously solid innings with 11 boundaries and an impressive six off his former team-mate Noffke.
He brought up his century with a beautiful straight drive off North, but was out caught at second slip off Magoffin shortly after.
Carseldine could well have been the best batsman in domestic cricket last season and is certainly going about it in a similar way to begin the 2009/10 campaign.
Batticciotto was out for 13 just after tea when Luke Ronchi took a superb diving catch off the bowling of Knowles, and then Carseldine fell shortly after off the spin-bowling of North.
That suddenly left Queensland at 5-234 and still trailing WA by 172 runs, but wicketkeeper Hartley and captain Simpson ensured the Bulls comfortably saw out the day.
It was slow going for the pair for some time, but they then put the foot on the gas late in the day. Hartley even brought up his half-century with back-to-back sixes off the part-time spin of Adam Voges.
The pair will look to push on with things on Friday morning and Queensland has a definite shot at two points now, which looked unlikely when the Warriors declared at 9-406.
The Bulls now need just 49 runs to pass WA's total and still have Ben Cutting, Sullivan and Scott Walter to come with the bat, but Laughlin is not expected to come out.
The Warriors batted for most of the first two days with captain North looking terrific in his 107, and Magoffin chipped in with 78, Shaun Marsh 70 and David Bandy an unbeaten 59.
Queensland left-armer Walter was the best with the ball claiming 6-121.
Western Australia first innings 9-406 (dec)
Queensland first innings
Broad c North b Magoffin 103
Kruger c Towers b Dorey 2
Townsend b Dorey 23
Carseldine c Bandy b North 80
Batticciotto c Ronchi b Knowles 13
Hartley not out 66
Simpson not out 57
Extras: 14 (5b, 2lb, 6nb, 1wd)
Total: 358 (5 wickets; 138 overs)
FoW: 1-9, 2-93, 3-197, 4-232, 5-234
Bowling:
Dorey 24 - 11 - 54 - 2
Noffke 24 - 5 - 62 - 0 (1nb)
Magoffin 22 - 10 - 53 - 1 (5nb)
Knowles 27 - 6 - 82 - 1 (1wd)
North 31 - 9 - 57 – 1
Bandy 4 - 1 - 12 - 0
Voges 4 - 1 - 23 - 0
Robinson 2 - 0 - 8 - 0