Contrasting half centuries by Test batsmen David Warner and Steven Smith helped NSW move to 8-368 at stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland in Brisbane on Wednesday despite a late stumble.

Cruising at 2-247 at tea, the Blues at one stage lost 5-41 as they lost six wickets in the final session late at Allan Border Field before bad light stopped play.

In an ominous sign ahead of next week’s Ashes opener, Warner (52 off 62 balls) came out swinging after the Blues won the toss, bringing up his whirlwind half century by hitting leg-spinner Cameron Boyce out of the ground.

But next ball Warner tried to repeat the feat, only to send it down the throat of Usman Khawaja on the white picket fence boundary at deep mid-wicket.

In all, he thrashed six fours and a six before chancing his arm once too often on the small suburban ground before lunch.

Smith (69) opted for a more patient approach in his two-and-a-half hour knock – a stay 60 minutes longer than Warner.

However, he still crunched nine fours and two sixes in a classy knock before top edging Ben Cutting (2-66) to fine leg to spark the final session collapse.

Earlier, opener Nic Maddinson (87) tried to pick up where Warner left off, hitting 11 fours and a six but fell short of a Shield century.

Left hander Scott Henry (60) also looked set before being bowled by James Hopes as the disciplined Bulls attack tried to apply pressure on the flat deck.

Boyce (2-96) took his Shield season tally to 12 – five more than Victoria’s Fawad Ahmed who threatened Test spinner Nathan Lyon – to become the competition’s leading leg spinner.

Young quick Alister McDermott (2-89) also impressed with the ball.