Queensland firm after WA declare on 436

Queensland 2 for 168 (Labuschagne 76*) trail Western Australia 6 for 436 dec (Bancroft 171, Marsh 95, Harris 65, Steketee 3 for 64) by 268 runs
Scorecard

Queensland made a firm start in their pursuit of Western Australia's 6 for 436 declared on day two of the Sheffield Shield match at the WACA ground.

Currently second on the Shield table, the Bulls were left chasing a considerable tally due to a patient 171 by Cameron Bancroft and support down the order, including handy up-tempo efforts by Hilton Cartwright (44) and wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman (30).

The allrounder, James Hopes, who is set to retire at season's end, had a rare wicketless outing for the Bulls, leaving Mark Steketee to claim three victims.

Nathan Coulter-Nile bowled tidily for the Warriors on his return to the team after injury, an important staging post given his selection in Australia's World Twenty20 squad. However he was unable to take a wicket as the Bulls dug in.

Marnus Labuschagne stonewalled to 76 by the close, with stubborn support from Chris Lynn. Given their position on the table the Bulls will be eager for maximum first-innings bonus points and a draw if they are unable to force a win over the next two days.