The last men standing from Queensland’s previous Sheffield Shield triumph did their best to keep alive the Bulls’ hopes of another title at a wet Gabba on Saturday.

Skipper James Hopes and his deputy Chris Hartley put on an unbroken 84-run stand to lift Queensland to 5-139 in the Shield final before rain all but washed out day two’s final session.

The Bulls still trail Tasmania by 102 runs.

Hopes and Hartley only played bit parts in the Bulls’ last Shield final win way back in 2005-06.

Then again, most did after Jimmy Maher and Shane Watson cracked double tons and Mitchell Johnson grabbed 10 wickets for the match as Queensland pipped Victoria by an innings and 354 runs.

Six years later, all eyes are on Hopes and Hartley.

The only remaining members from the 2005-06 winning team ensured Queensland still held hopes of Shield title No.7 with a backs-to-the-wall stand on Saturday.

The Bulls’ prospects looked as gloomy as the conditions after they lost 3-7 as allrounders Luke Butterworth (2-31) and James Faulkner (2-35) lit up the Gabba.

However, Hopes (54 not out) and Hartley (30 not out) showed all their experience to be a shining light under the grey skies.

Butterworth had reduced Queensland to 2-9 by lunch in reply to Tasmania’s 241 before Faulkner ensured more pain was to come in the middle session.

He snared the prize wicket of in-form Joe Burns – caught behind for 28 – before knocking over Andrew Robinson (16).

The umpires came together before raising the finger to Robinson after his bunt to Ricky Ponting at short mid-on looked like a bump ball at first glance.

And it was 5-55 first ball of the next over by Sheffield Shield player of the year Jackson Bird (1-21) after that man Faulkner snaffled up a slips chance from Chris Lynn (0).

Hopes and Hartley then rode their luck.

Hopes narrowly avoided suffering Robinson’s fate when his lofted drive narrowly evaded Ponting while Hartley had a life on six when Nick Kruger made a mess of a slips chance.

Earlier, Alister McDermott (6-54) helped rout Tasmania after the visitors resumed at 6-208 on Saturday.

McDermott – aged just 20 – has the equal ninth-best bowling figures in a Sheffield Shield final.

And he is just the sixth Queenslander to grab a six-wicket haul in a Shield decider.