Phelps and Clarke put Blues on track against Bulls

BRISBANE, Oct 18 AAP - Batsmen Matthew Phelps and Michael Clarke settled into the trenches at the Gabba today as NSW inflicted a rare day of pain on Queensland in a grinding Pura Cup cricket match at the Gabba.

Phelps and Clarke were celebrating centuries and thanking their luck after leading the Blues down the slow road to first innings points, reaching 4-343 at stumps on the third day, still 165 runs behind Queensland.

Phelps batted through the day for 137 not out from 353 balls while Clarke confirmed his reputation as a rising star with 134 in front of national selector Trevor Hohns.

The Queensland attack probably deserved more wickets but they couldn't find the edge of the bat against the determined Blues pair and the contest remains as muddy as when the coin was tossed on Wednesday.

The Blues are in a strong position to take some overdue points from the three-time champions but Phelps wasn't expecting a miracle as the players prepared for temperatures of 33 degrees tomorrow.

"If I keep batting at the same pace, we'll probably get there after tea," the 30-year-old Phelps joked.

"I had never batted through a full day before so this is the most rewarding innings I've played and it's against the best attack in Australia."

Phelps described his career as "chequered" after playing 10 first-class matches in five seasons but he has shown plenty of grit against the Bulls, lasting 481 minutes.

A patient Clarke battled cramp and lower back stiffness during his 289-minute stay at the crease.

The right-handers were given little width by the Bulls' pacemen, who conceded 16 runs from 15 overs after lunch, but the batsmen tucked in to Stuart Law's part-time leg-spin after tea.

Their 233-run partnership ended when a weary Clarke chipped tireless Ashley Noffke (1-70 from 32 overs) to Andrew Symonds at backward point, and the Bulls were revived when all-rounder Grant Lambert was then dismissed for a duck.

"The Queensland guys bowled really well and we really had to be patient," Clarke said.

"They were getting pretty frustrated at one stage and so were we because we kept playing and missing.

"We were lucky not to nick one but we stayed there and finished with centuries so I'm thrilled."

Noffke was the pick of the Bulls' pacemen, at one stage bowling 44 consecutive balls without conceding a run, while Joe Dawes (2-42) was sharp in his 21 overs.

Michael Kasprowicz (1-72) struck the first blow when he outwitted former Test teammate Michael Bevan during a tough first hour.

Bevan (23) did not add to his overnight score in 25 balls, eventually falling during a smart three-ball burst from Kasprowicz.

He struck Bevan on the helmet, sent down another short ball and then lured Bevan into a pull shot which the left-hander edged to wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe.

But it was uphill for the next five hours as the Blues gave Queensland some of its own medicine.