Rob Forsaith at the Gabba
Queensland has completed a remarkable 48-run outright victory over Tasmania in the 2008/09 Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield season opener at the Gabba.
The Bulls wrapped up the win midway through the third session of day three, despite the best efforts of stubborn tail-enders Xavier Doherty and Ben Hilfenhaus.
The pair put on 26 for the ninth wicket as they looked to slowly inch towards the 193 required for the win.
But all-rounder James Hopes, who was the pick of the bowlers for the Bulls with 4-24, made the key breakthrough.
Hopes had Hilfenhaus caught in the slips before trapping Tim MacDonald lbw as the Tigers were all out for 144 in their second innings.
An outright win for the home side would have been the last thing on its mind earlier in the morning when it was rolled for just 62, Queensland's fourth-lowest Sheffield Shield total ever and its worst since 1982.
But it was a fitting finish for a bizarre match which has featured plenty of shifts in momentum, with the win being set up earlier by a 135-run ninth-wicket stand between Chris Swan and Chris Hartley on day one.
Every time the visitors were starting to appear comfortable and had looked to establish a partnership, the Bulls were able to crack the game wide open with key wickets.
Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds made the first breakthrough on the eve of lunch when he produced a trademark piece of individual fielding brilliance to find opener Michael Dighton short of his ground.
Rhett Lockyear (34) and Travis Birt (24) then came together for a 44-run stand, but some tight bowling from Hopes soon had them both back in the pavilion.
Ashley Noffke (3-41) also claimed the wicket of danger man George Bailey for a duck in between, as the Tigers crashed from 1-55 to 4-68.
Tigers skipper Daniel Marsh temporarily steadied his side's ship with a quick-fire 24 and tried to take the sting out of the Bulls attack with five boundaries.
But he attempted to hit out once too often and misjudged a well-pitched ball from Ryan Harris that crashed into middle stump.
At that point the score was 5-100 and the Tigers' chances appeared to rest largely with keeper Tim Paine and all-rounder Luke Butterworth, the last two established batsmen in the order.
But both fell in the next five overs, with Paine trapped lbw by Symonds and Butterworth edging a good ball from Noffke, as the Bulls fought their way into the box seat.
First-innings top-scorer Brett Geeves still loomed large, but he could not resist a shorter delivery from Noffke and holed out to Ryan Broad in the deep as Tasmania looked in dire trouble at 8-108.
Doherty and Hilfenhaus continued to frustrate the Bulls, but in the end it proved to be too little too late as the home side completed a confidence-boosting win.
Queensland first innings 236
Tasmanian first innings 106
Queensland second innings 62
Tasmanian second innings
Lockyear c Love b Hopes 34 (73)
Dighton run out (Symonds) 3 (1)
Birt c Hartley b Hopes 24 (37)
Bailey c Hartley b Noffke 0 (7)
Marsh b Harris 24 (29)
Paine lbw Symonds 16 (52)
Butterworth c Moller b Noffke 1 (11)
Geeves c Broad b Noffke 1 (11)
Doherty not out 29 (55)
Hilfenahus c Doran b Hopes 7 (24)
MacDonald lbw Hopes 2 (10)
Extras: 3 (lb 2, wd 1)
Total: 144 (10 wickets;