Unbeatable Victoria prepare for Shield victory

Queensland 257 & 0 for 29 need 611 runs to beat Victoria 305 & 8 for 591 dec (Hussey 168, White 89, Quiney 73, Jewell 70, Finch 63, Boyce 6-181)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Victoria enacted the Sheffield Shield's version of torture on Queensland as they moved closer to lifting the trophy. The Bushrangers, who only need a draw to take the prize, finally closed their innings 45 minutes before stumps on the fourth day after gorging 8 for 591 declared.

That left Queensland with an official target of 640, but they will have to settle for batting out the final day for a draw, which is the same thing that happened last year. They started well by reaching 0 for 29 at stumps, with Ryan Broad on 9 and Wade Townsend 16.

David Hussey led the way with an aggressive 168 and with Cameron White, who fell for 89, they took the game well beyond Queensland's reach. When Hussey, who hit 18 fours and four sixes during his 198 balls, and White fell with the score at 481 the Bushrangers had an advantage of 529. But they weren't finished.

Apart from Andrew McDonald, who was unbeaten on 44, the only other person the extra time was useful for was Cameron Boyce, the 20-year-old legspinner. He was able to record his first five-wicket haul in his second first-class game, finishing with 6 for 181 off 44 overs as he benefitted from the charging batsmen.

He picked up both openers on the first day but had to wait until White somehow managed to play him on when defending a long way outside off stump. Matthew Wade (20) skied to mid-off and John Hastings (26) went down the pitch and missed a slog to midwicket to be stumped.

Boyce's sixth wicket was a mystery to Damien Wright, who was given out caught behind but missed the ball spinning out of the footmarks. Overall it was a promising sign for Queensland's future, although being a slow bowler at the Gabba is not much fun.