Rob Forsaith at the Gabba
An incredible unbeaten final-wicket partnership of 58 runs from Queensland tailenders Chris Swan and Luke Feldman has seen the Bulls claim an unbelievable one-wicket victory over Victoria on a morning full of drama at the Gabba.
Feldman strode to the crease with his side needing a further 57 runs for what seemed the most improbable of victories, but the rookie No.11 displayed nerves of steel in his first match at the Gabba.
Swan and Feldman went about peeling off the runs without too much bother, and when a short rain interval during the drinks break forced players from the ground, the Bulls had moved to 9-231 and needed only 20 runs to win.
The interlude failed to halter the tailenders' confidence, and Swan brought up the winning runs shortly after when he pulled a short ball from Damien Wright to the rope, triggering frenetic and emotional scenes from the pair.
Swan (36 not out) and Feldman (27 not out) charged towards their team-mates, swinging their bats and cheering while the despondent Bushrangers watched on.
The equation for the home side was difficult on Thursday morning when it resumed at 8-174 in pursuit of an unlikely 251-run victory target.
Chris Hartley, unbeaten on 33 overnight, loomed large as the key man for the Bulls, and their slim hopes of an upset would seemingly have been diminished when the in-form wicketkeeper-batsman was out edging in the 12th over of play.
The Bulls rallied though, Swan and Luke Feldman finding their feet while stand-in captain Andrew McDonald continued to use part-time spinner Aaron Finch, presumably to ease the home side's sluggish over rate.
The win strengthens Queensland's hold on second place, lifting the Bulls to a total of 26 points, well clear of third-placed Tasmania (17 points), but Victoria (30 points) remains favourite to host the final.
Victoria 1st innings 316
Queensland 1st innings 170
Victoria 2nd innings 104
Queensland 2nd innings
Broad c Wade b Hastings 15
Kruger c McDonald b McKay 13
Townsend lbw b Pattinson 5
Carseldine c Mash b McKay 34
Philipson c Hill b McDonald 16
Hartley c Wade b Pattinson 45
Hopes c Wade b McDonald 9
Simpson c Hill b McDonald 8
Cutting c McDonald b Wright 34
Swan not out 36
Feldman not out 27
Extras:10 (4lb, 1nb, 5w)
Total: 252 (9 wickets: 76.5 overs)
FOW: 1-20, 2-28, 3-38, 4-83, 5-85, 6-106, 7-114, 8-168, 9-194,
Bowling
Wright 11.5 - 3 - 40 - 1 (5w)
McKay 25 - 4 - 58 - 2 (1nb)
Hastings 12 - 4 - 35 - 1
Pattinson 15 - 1 - 57 - 2
McDonald 8 - 2 - 44 - 3
Finch 5 - 0 - 14 - 0