Bulls, Redbacks evenly poised in race for points

Thanks to some great batting and an innovative declaration by Darren Lehmann, there is still some life in the Pura Milk Cup match at Allan Border Field.

At the close Queensland lead by 133 with nine second innings wickets in hand with both Jimmy Maher and Martin Love unbeaten on nine.

Earlier today Andrew Symonds continued on to finish with an unbeaten 140 after South Australia made some early inroads with Jason Gillespie showing in the second match of his first class return that he is well on his way back to full fitness. He picked up the wickets of Geoff Foley (28) and Andy Bichel (3) in a first session spell of 7-4-12-2. Combined with the run out of Wade Seccombe (0) thanks to a great bit of fielding by Shane Deitz, Queensland subsided to 7/225.

Adam Dale joined centurion Symonds and batted in a similar way to when he played in Adelaide a month or so ago, making 35 from just 41 balls in a partnership of 61 before Young picked up his second wicket of innings.

Scott Muller went in the next over and Queensland declared leaving SA a tricky half an hour or so before lunch. David Fitzgerald, fresh off a fine double last week against Tasmania, went in the third over edging behind off Bichel and the visitors struggled through to lunch 1/13 (Deitz 10*, Harris 3*).

After lunch, the rookie Daniel Harris battled hard but became both Bichel and Seccombe's second victim to make it 2/14 and collapse similar to that in Adelaide a month ago seemed on the cards.

Skipper Darren Lehmann joined Deitz and the two made steady progress until the introduction of Matthew Anderson who was introduced with the score on 2/71 and like a bolt of lightning Lehmann greeted him with six, four, four, six and four with a series of pulls and drive to take 24 off his opening over.

Lehmann continued on in aggressive fashion and he and Deitz raised the 100 partnership just before tea, the break coming with South Australia 2/114 (Deitz 39, Lehmann 71)

After tea Bichel and Anderson resumed the attack, with Bichel the man to break the third wicket partnership, picking up the wicket of Shane Deitz for 45 after two and a half hour resistance. Jeff Vaughan, who has had a shocking season for the Redbacks, edged his second ball to Seccombe and suddenly the visitors were struggling again at 4 for 127.

Ben Johnson for a time stayed with his skipper and did his best to stay with him until he reached his ton, but just as the stand seemed headed for some real productivity, the left hander to Muller for ten and SA had lost their third wicket since tea to be 5/155.

A cut shot off Symonds brought up the Lehmann ton, and after 171 minutes of batting the burly South Australian went to give Scott Muller his second wicket and SA were 6/164 - a loss of 4/50 since the tea break.

Brad Young and Graham Manou battled away for a further dozen overs before Darren Lehmann declared 115 behind.

In the opening over of the Queensland seond innings Dixon had his stumps wrecked by Gillespie to complete a fairly successful day for the tall speedster. A few quick wickets from "Dizzy" in the morning may make an interesting opening to South Australia's final day of the first class season.