Love returns from hospital to help ailing Bulls

A defiant Martin Love returned from hospital and crawled back into the Gabba trenches today as Queensland tried to hold off a weary South Australia in the Pura Cup cricket clash at the Gabba.

South Australia enters tomorrow's final day with the only chance of winning but Love (28 not out) and Jimmy Maher (90 not out) gave the Redbacks something to chew over during a fluctuating third day.

At stumps, the Bulls were 1-164 in their second innings after they were forced to follow on, still needing another 157 to make the Redbacks bat again.

The competition leaders must bat into the final session, especially with pacemen Michael Kasprowicz (hamstring) and Ashley Noffke (heel) unable to bowl.

Otherwise, SA will charge into outright second place on the Pura Cup table after it claimed first innings points by flooring the Bulls for 232 in reply to their massive 6-553 declared.

But Maher and Love stand in the way, with Love returning from a hospital visit to provide some starch to a jittery Queensland batting line-up.

Love needed treatment after he was knocked unconscious by a pinpoint bouncer from Mark Harrity (3-61 and 0-40) during the first innings.

The right-hander was cleared by Queensland medical staff before he returned to the crease for today's first ball, adding another 70 runs to finish with 84.

"I had a pretty nasty headache but that went overnight and I had to get checked out again this morning," Love said.

"I didn't really know where I was when I was hit and it was the first time I've been hit solid like that.

"But I felt OK this morning."

That was lucky for the Bulls, who crossed their fingers as Love, Maher and Test opener Matthew Hayden (63 and 43) began swinging at the Redbacks in the second dig.

Hayden landed some punches in his lively second innings while Maher survived more than three hours.

He hopped into a Redbacks attack which had spent 134 consecutive overs in the field, with the promise of plenty more tomorrow.

The Redbacks bowlers were sore but the aches will surely ease tomorrow if they get a sniff of an ailing Queensland.

A fiery Harrity and the promising Paul Rofe (2-41 and 1-20) hold the key to dismissing the Bulls, with the second new ball due after lunch tomorrow.

Rofe has impressed the Queensland batsmen while Harrity drew plenty of ribbing from the crowd while he tested Love with short-pitched bowling.

He eventually claimed his man in the first innings to a legside catch and immediately turned around and gestured to his critics in the northern stand.

Regardless of the outcome, South Australia has already locked itself into a fierce race for a final berth.

The two points for the first innings victory pushed the Redbacks (16 points) into a three-way tie for second with Western Australia and Tasmania.

Queensland is six points clear but that lead will fall to just two points if the Bulls' batsmen continue their mediocre post-Christmas form.