Queensland 'disappointed' after Tasmania decline to set a target

Tim Ward and Lawrence Neil-Smith posted half-centuries as Tasmania batted out the final day for a draw against Queensland despite the Bulls' invitation to try and force a result with a sporting declaration on the third afternoon.

Tasmania began the day at 1 for 59, with a lead of 204 and 96 overs available to set up a fourth-innings run chase on another benign Karen Rolton Oval pitch in Adelaide. But the Tigers showed little to no intent to try and set a target with nightwatchman Neil-Smith failing to score from his first 35 deliveries on day four to be 1 from 61 balls at one stage before going on to make 71 not out from 201 deliveries. Ward fell for 81 just after lunch.

Queensland captain Usman Khawaja said he was "a little bit disappointed" with the approach of Tasmania.

"We declared hoping they'd set us a chase, and then try to chase it," Khawaja said. "It was always going to be hard to get lots of wickets on that [pitch] so it had to be a sporting declaration and get them to set us a total and us try to chase it down.

"That was the only way there was going to be any result. But they obviously didn't want to play that way."

"They batted for a session too long...they could have pushed the game more on day two expecting them to declare around lunch, that's when you normally declare. But that was just their game plan. I guess they were happy to get first innings [bonus] points and that's what it was."

Ward said: "We knew it was going to be tough to take 10 wickets and the decision was made just to go out there and keep batting and make sure we didn't lose this one."

Ward, coming off a superb 144 in the first innings, played fluently compared to Neil-Smith reaching a brisk half-century and moved to lunch on 80 not out, within sight of twin centuries in just his second Sheffield Shield match.

But the break did him no favours, with Matthew Kuhnemann producing a stunning delivery in the second over after lunch to remove him for 81. A shorter-length ball ripped out of the footmarks and forced Ward to chop onto his stumps.

Charlie Wakim then followed Neil-Smith's lead making 3 for 61 deliveries before becoming Kuhnemann's third victim of the innings. Neil-Smith reached his maiden first-class half-century before the game was called off after Khawaja and Joe Burns each delivered an over to put an exclamation point on another high-scoring three-innings draw in Adelaide to start the Sheffield Shield season. AAP contributed to this report