Tasmania are marching towards a third Sheffield Shield title and first with champion Ricky Ponting on day five of the final against Queensland at Bellerive.

Set the near-impossible task of making 446 in 87 overs on a worn pitch, the Bulls were 3-37 at lunch and nowhere near the run rate of 5.1 an over they require.

Joe Burns will resume unbeaten on four with Nathan Reardon three.

They will have little incentive but to show some Queensland spirit and improve their averages with the Tigers needing only a draw.

Ponting, who made 35 and one in the decider, 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.

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 (1-15) ball onto his stumps.

Greg Moller (13) lost his stumps when he misread a James Faulkner (1-5) slower ball at 2-26 and Peter Forrest (8) was also bowled by a moving ball from Evan Gulbis (1-9) at 3-32.

Earlier, Tasmania lost their last three wickets for just 11 after resuming at 7-240.

Allrounder James Faulkner (89), who with Tim Paine (87) rescued his side from 5-15 on day four, fell just short of his maiden first-class century.

Queensland need to score the highest fourth-innings total to win a Shield final and one of the biggest final-innings scores of all time in the competition.