Queensland and NSW looked set to repeat while Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan Lyon stayed best in class as their Sheffield Shield clash remained in the balance.
At stumps on day three at Wollongong’s North Dalton Park the Blues were 2-49, trailing the Bulls by three runs.
Matthew Gilkes (24) and Jason Sangha (0) were the not out batsmen.
With Western Australia struggling against Tasmania, the Blues and Bulls now seem likely to meet again in the final starting April 15, the Queenslanders also in pole position to host the fixture.
Labuschagne (112) will no doubt be a central figure in the clash, the Test star showing his appetite for runs again on Monday with his third century of the Shield season.
The No.3 was an irresistible force, cracking 11 fours in his 212-ball stay before eventually edging to Kurtis Patterson at second slip off the bowling of Trent Copeland (1-48).
He now has 629 runs at 69.88 for the season but, ever the perfectionist, said he was “disappointed to get only a small hundred”.
Usman Khawaja (64) and Jimmy Peirson (59) helped bolster the Bulls’ total to 433 but there was little doubt as to who the other star of the show was.
Lyon demonstrated that he remains Australia’s best spinner, picking up 6-128 from a marathon 48.2 overs.
The tireless tweaker took five of the top seven wickets as the rest of the bowling contingent struggled on a largely benign deck.
He now has 39 wickets at 25 for the season and will likely finish as the competition’s top bowler.
“This is actually my first full year of playing shield cricket in my whole career which is quite nice,” said Lyon, used to being tied up with the Australian team.
Mitch Swepson considered the country’s next-best spinner, showed his wares when Queensland got the ball again, picking up 2-9.
Returning early from a neck injury this match, Swepson removed Daniel Hughes (16) and Patterson (9).
His viciously spinning ball to bowl Hughes was a highlight, evoking memories of Shane Warne in his pomp.
A draw would appear the probable result in Wollongong, particularly given it’s likely that is all Queensland will require to host the final, but a brave declaration by NSW or a sharp Bulls’ bowling performance could leave the door ajar for a win.
Labuschagne said his side needed to put pressure on NSW the whole day regardless of how it played out.
“Tomorrow is really a big day. It is setting the stage for this game and the final,” he said.
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