Joe Burns survived a hat-trick ball before posting a vital half century for a battling Queensland in their Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania on Friday at the Gabba.
Ex-Test seamer Ben Hilfenhaus (3-40) had Burns in his sights after taking three wickets in four balls to reduce the Bulls to 3-18 in reply to the Tigers’ 245 first-innings dig.
But Burns (51 not out) held his nerve and helped steer Queensland to 6-143 at tea on day two, still trailing the visitors by 102 runs.
In his first match since returning from Australia A duty, Burns tried to steady the ship in a 60-run fifth-wicket stand with Nathan Reardon (39) before allrounder Evan Gulbis (2-29) ensured some more anxious moments.
Queensland slumped to 5-90 when Gulbis had Reardon caught behind and they were suddenly 6-112 when Chris Hartley (14) was snaffled up in the slips off the allrounder.
However, Burns kept his cool, notching his seventh Shield half-century in an unbeaten 31-run stand with Bulls captain James Hopes (14 not out).
Earlier, Cameron Gannon (2-38) needed just nine balls to clean up the tail after the Tigers resumed at 8-236.
Tasmania had recovered from 5-90 after a Ryan Harris-inspired collapse of 3-2 on Thursday to post a competitive first-innings total.
Jon Wells (82) – dropped on seven – and ex-Test keeper Tim Paine (42) dug the Tigers out of trouble on Thursday with a 97-run sixth-wicket stand.
Injury-plagued ex-Test paceman Harris finished with 3-85 off 26 overs in his first Shield match since Australia’s tour of the West Indies last April.
Hopes had 2-57.