Former Test quick Doug Bollinger has given selectors a timely reminder of his ability, giving NSW the upper hand in their Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland at Manuka Oval.

Showing the venom which earned him 12 Test caps and 50 wickets, Bollinger ripped the heart out of the Bulls top order, dismissing Wade Townsend and Test hopeful Usman Khawaja inside the first three deliveries of the match as the visitors staggered to 5-158 at tea on the opening day.

Bollinger has not featured in the Test side since an Ashes humiliation at the Adelaide Oval in 2010 when his fitness was called into question.

He’s fallen so far down the pecking order that even with injuries to young guns James Pattinson and Pat Cummins, Bollinger couldn’t jag a spot in the 14-man squad for the WACA Test that featured six fast bowlers.

But the 31-year-old gave selectors a gentle reminder by trapping both Townsend and Khawaja, prompting an almost instantaneous reaction from umpire, and former Test seamer, Paul Reiffel.

The Bulls fell further into the mire when Joe Burns (1) and Peter Forrest (17) departed in quick succession at the hands of left-arm quick Josh Lalor to reduce them to 4-18.

But a 117-run partnership between Nathan Reardon (62) and captain Chris Hartley dragged the Bulls back into the contest, Blues allrounder Steve Smith paying dearly for dropped chances off both batsmen.

Reardon was on two when he chopped a tough, low chance to the normally sure-handed Smith, while Hartley was on just eight when the former Australian representative put down a far more regulation chance at second slip off Bollinger.

In the end it was debutant Adam Zampa (1-30) who chipped in to break up the fifth-wicket partnership, trapping Hartley lbw for 66 on a mostly docile wicket.

Bollinger (2-24) and Lalor (2-28) have been forced to carry a heavy load with the Blues pace attack missing Test hopefuls Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Shane Watson and the injured Trent Copeland (ankle).