A flurry of late hitting from tailender Ben Cutting rescued ladder leaders Queensland from disaster on a rain-affected day one of the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at Bellerive.

Cutting smashed 72 off just 74 balls – including four sixes – to single-handedly lift the Bulls from a perilous 8-89 to a respectable 9-195 after his side had been sent in on a green-top under cloudy skies.

The Queensland paceman surpassed his previous highest first class score of 58 when he cracked former Test spinner Jason Krejza for consecutive sixes late on a day that had earlier lost two hours to rain and ended in bad light.

“I basically tried to get on top of them before they got us,” Cutting said.

“I found if you played conventionally, you nicked out or got bowled or lbw.

“I just tried to get as many runs as I could before I was out.”

Cutting, who worked on his batting during a two-month lay-off with a side strain, said the Bulls were satisfied they had posted a handy total in the conditions.

“I can’t say I’ve ever seen a wicket that green, that’s for sure … but I’m thoroughly looking forward to having a bowl on that,” he said.

Queensland lost five wickets for four runs in a middle-order collapse, watching their score slump from 3-85 to 8-89 in the swing and seam-friendly conditions.

But Cutting put on 54 with Steve Magoffin (17) for the ninth wicket and 52 with No.11 Alister McDermott (10 not out) as the Tigers let the visitors off the hook.

In-form Tasmanian paceman Jackson Bird revelled in the conditions to bag 5-56, with Luke Butterworth taking 2-48.

“To have them 8-80 and to have them now nearly 200, nine-down’s a bit disappointing,” Bird said.

“It was pretty hard to bowl to Ben Cutting. He’s strong square of the wicket on the off-side, he can drive well and he can also hit you over midwicket and square leg.”

Rain forced an early lunch when the Bulls were 2-46 and mounting a recovery after losing Wade Townsend for a first-ball duck and Ryan Broad for six.

Andrew Robinson (19) and Joe Burns (43) put on 37 for the third wicket and then Burns and Chris Lynn (16) added 35 before the rot set in.

Both sides had lost key men to injury before naming their teams, the Tigers without allrounder James Faulkner (back) and Queensland missing skipper James Hopes (knee).

Tasmania can leapfrog Victoria into third with a win, and can go second if NSW manage to beat Western Australia.