Queensland are cruising at 1-105 in their first innings reply to Western Australia’s 254 in the rain-affected Sheffield Shield match at the WACA Ground.

WA had to contend with four separate rain delays during their innings after skipper Adam Voges won the toss and elected to bat first, but after falling to 5-47 the Warriors would have been happy to end up making 254.

That was largely due to a 151-run sixth wicket partnership between Mitch Marsh (96) and Sam Whiteman (61), but now the Bulls have the best batting conditions of the match and are making the most of it.

Even though Nathan Reardon has been dismissed for 21, Queensland are looking strong at tea on the second day with former West Australian Luke Pomersbach not out on 63 and Test hopeful Usman Khawaja with him on 19.

The 29-year-old Pomersbach is playing his first game for 2013-14 with Queensland and is looking in ominous form.

In WA’s innings, Mitch Marsh and Whiteman rescued them from a horror start on Friday to put on a partnership of 151 before Whiteman was out for 61 and then Marsh for 96.

Marsh looked to be cruising towards a second Shield century in his 31st first-class match before he was caught on the crease off Luke Feldman, and edged the ball to Pomersbach’s waiting hands at second slip to fall four runs short of the century.

Feldman (4-58) was the pick of the Queensland bowlers while Ben Cutting (2-50) and Michael Neser (2-62) toiled hard. Captain James Hopes (1-28) and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz (1-49) claimed a wicket each.

Play has been marred by news that former WA skipper and opening batsman Marcus North’s older brother Lucas was killed in an accident in Perth on Friday.

Marcus North found out shortly after being dismissed for four on day one and was granted a leave of absence from the match with his place in the WA side taken by Luke Towers.