Queensland postponed Tasmania’s celebrations with a stubborn fourth-wicket partnership and headed to tea at 4-95 on day five of the Sheffield Shield final at Bellerive.
The Tigers will take the title but the Bulls looked determined to ensure they did so with a draw rather than an outright victory.
Rising star Joe Burns (32) was bowled by Luke Butterworth (1-12) on the last ball before the break, having put on 63 with Nathan Reardon (25no) at a snail’s pace after Queensland had been 3-37 at lunch.
Set the near impossible target of 446 in 87 overs, the Bulls were still 351 behind.
On a pitch more dead than a dodo, the Tigers resorted to some bizarre fields in an attempt to break the deadlock.
For several overs, they had three players fanned out like slips on either side of the wicket halfway along the pitch.
Win or draw, champion Ricky Ponting will secure his first trophy with his state in his third Shield final and 19 seasons after his first decider in 1993/94.
Ponting, who made 35 and one, will complete the one item missing from his illustrious CV, an outcome that could have a bearing on whether he plays on for Tasmania in 2013-14.
The 38-year-old former Australian captain was last week named Shield player of the year and has made 911 runs in the competition this season at 75.91.
He will also be favourite to win his own Ricky Ponting Medal, for Tasmania’s best player, on Thursday night.
The Tigers’ most successful coach, Tim Coyle, will definitely depart having taken the state to all three of its Shield titles and two one-day cups.
Queensland were always facing mission impossible on Bellerive’s up-and-down fifth-day deck after bowling 270 overs in the match.
They were 1-15 when Luke Pomersbach (4) chopped a Ben Hilfenhaus (1-21) ball on.
Greg Moller (13) lost his stumps when he misread a James Faulkner (1-15) slower ball at 2-26 and Peter Forrest (8) was also bowled by a moving delivery from Evan Gulbis (1-24) at 3-32.
Earlier, Tasmania lost their last three wickets for just 11 after resuming at 7-240, allrounder Faulkner top-scoring with 89.