Neser and Peirson centuries help Queensland hold out NSW

Backs-to-the-wall centuries from Michael Neser and Jimmy Peirson have helped Queensland earn a fighting draw in their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales.

After conceding a 270-run first-innings lead, the Bulls defiantly ground their way to 417 for 7 in their second dig at Cricket Central at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday.

Neser and Peirson underpinned the gritty rearguard with a 200-run sixth-wicket stand before Jack Wildermuth and Gurinder Sandhu comfortably saw out the last session on day four. Wildermuth made an unbeaten 52 while Sandhu finished 32 not out.

"We had to really fight hard for it," Queensland captain Usman Khawaja said.

"We were not in a place to win that game, only NSW could really win the game.

"It was a really good fight today and I'm really proud of how the boys went about it."

The Blues, winless last summer and chasing their first Shield victory since February 2022, looked on track for the drought-breaker when they reduced Queensland to 91 for 5 on day three but they could only muster two wickets from the last 121 overs while the visitors added 326.

Neser, a genuine allrounder these days, notched his fifth first-class ton and, remarkably, his third in his past three matches following a bumper County Championship campaign during English summer when he plundered 487 runs at 81.16 for Glamorgan. His last eight scores in first-class cricket are 90, 9, 86, 2, 123, 176*, 18 and 140.

Peirson raised his seventh first-class century before falling shortly before lunch, trapped lbw when he missed a shorter length from Chris Green that skidded low.

Neser's best-ever Shield knock ended on the last ball of the second session when he smacked a full toss back to Jason Sangha who snaffled a superb diving catch with his right hand.

Wildermuth, no slouch himself at No.8 with three first-class hundreds to his name, was unmoved for 172 balls.

NSW's attack was willing but depleted. Hayden Kerr (injured abductor) was unable to bowl after lunch and faces a stint on the sidelines, while Jack Edwards (heel and back soreness) could only bowl two overs in the last two sessions.

"Given how well we played for almost all of this match, it's disappointing to not collect the six points," NSW captain Moises Henriques said.

"On a pretty docile wicket at the end, I can't fault the effort of any of our bowlers, I thought they tried their guts out."

Edwards had earlier put NSW on top with bat and ball, taking 6 for 36 to skittle the Bulls for 176 in the first innings, before making 87 to pace the home side's 446 to earn player of the match honours.