Test opener Ed Cowan has tamed the bowler-friendly conditions at Bellerive to lead Tasmania to 3-163 at tea on day two of the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.

Cowan survived some anxious moments as edges fell short in overcast conditions to make an unbeaten 69 in a fighting knock that included 10 fours.

It also included a fiery confrontation with Queensland young gun Alister McDermott after the paceman had hit Cowan with a shy at the stumps on his follow-through.

Cowan advanced down the pitch with his arms outstretched and words appeared to be exchanged between the pair.

Mark Cosgrove, who’d had a life on 11 when Andrew Robinson dropped a sitter at slip, was the other not out batsman at tea, unbeaten on 37 after a partnership of 53 with Cowan.

The Tigers look set to grab first innings points after they bowled Queensland out for 205, Alister McDermott the last man out for 11 on Saturday morning.

Ben Cutting finished unbeaten on 79, including seven fours and four sixes, while Jackson Bird claimed career-best figures of 6-62 before rain delayed the start of Tasmania’s innings.

Opener Steven Cazzulino made just six before he was caught by Robinson off the bowling of Steve Magoffin (1-39).

The Tigers went to lunch at 1-30 and Cowan and Alex Doolan put on 53 before Doolan was caught behind off the bowling of Cutting (1-34) for 18.

George Bailey hit four boundaries in an entertaining innings of 27 off 30 balls before he was bowled shouldering arms to Matthew Gale (1-50) at 3-110.

Bailey was due to fly out of Hobart later on Saturday to join the Australian squad for Sunday’s one-day clash with India in Brisbane.

Fourth-placed Shield holders Tasmania are desperate for maximum points against the ladder leaders to keep them in the hunt for the competition’s final, a task that was being made more difficult by NSW struggling against Western Australia.