Queensland (and Labuschagne) stared at the pitch in disfavour as play began. By now it resembled straw-coloured sandpaper. The pace had gone out of it, and there was little promise of spin. But if the seamers pitched the ball up and allowed it to swing and seam, who knew what might happen? Which they promptly did. Vidler and Neser bowled sharply with the new ball, and with the advent of Steketee’s steep bounce at first change, in no time at all the home side was 3/28 and staring at defeat. Hunt, McInerney and McSweeney did little wrong. When you are caught low down in the slips from a delivery at which you had to offer a vertical bat; or fend at an exploding leg-cutter on off-stump; then you may well trudge back to the pavilion knowing you did all the right things. Not that this is much comfort.

It ought to have been four down when Steketee induced another edge from Sangha. The ball was heading straight for Khawaja at slip; but McDermott threw out a hand to it and muffed it. The only blame derives from the fact, evident in hindsight, that the two slippers were standing a yard too close. Thereafter Sangha and Carey set to work with a will. The ball grew old; the bowlers’ immaculate line and length frayed, and the game slipped slowly into the sunset for the Bulls. Steketee was a constant menace, and Neser contrived some late reverse swing; but the two Redbacks were not having any of that and pushed remorselessly on towards victory.

It must be said of Swepson that he bowled acceptably. Neither better nor worse than that. After the first twenty overs Labuschagne’s best option was to pin his faith in the leg-spinner and persevere with him. Sometimes he drew sharp turn out of the rough; but not often enough to bring results. The right-handed Sangha clubbed him for a six over square leg; but thereafter took few liberties. Carey, faced with a capable leggie bowling into his stumps from around the wicket, launched a savage counterattack. Two lofted drives tantalised the mid-on fielders, but their hands clutched at the air in vain. Wildermuth could do nothing with his mediums, and the target shrank almost to zero.

A curious feature of the match has been the many who have reached a century and got out. With forty needed Carey lost his stumps to a Steketee full-toss. Lehmann lost his to Swepson, who grabbed a too long belated wicket. Vidler removed Scott for a duck, and with ten still required Queensland dared hope for a moment. But the ebullient Manenti extinguished their chances with a few brisk strokes and the game was won. Sangha’s unbeaten 126 was the difference. That, and Queensland’s first innings collapse. They were always several parasangs off the pace thereafter.

Plaudits are due to the Redbacks, and their coach Ryan Harris. Seam bowling has never been their strength, pace a Gillespie or two; but Harris enjoyed a brief flowering as a Test paceman pitching full and allowing the ball to swing and seam. He has taught his padawan apprentices well.

What was required, with the pitch at its most docile and biddable, was for the visitors to achieve a combination of limpet and Fast & Furious. Eventually both were achieved, but not until Doggett had prised out both McDermott and Peirson by keeping it simple, bowling a full length and swinging the old ball back into to the pads. At five down for not very much South Australia may have though that the contest was all but concluded. If they did, they were mistaken. Neser clung to the crease for over an hour; but batted himself to a standstill. As so often happens after an ascetic vigil of tortuous defence he flailed at a wide one from McAndrew and the end seemed nigh.

All through the day Jack Clayton had defended like Horatius at the bridge, but remembering always to take whatever runs might be achieved without risk. His century was well-merited, despite a near-death experience when Manenti’s clutching fingers at slip just failed to grasp him, with the ball only the width of his moustache above the turf. Yet on exactly a hundred he missed a straight one from Manenti and was trapped in front. He had however acquired Jack Wildermuth as a partner. This bloke has rare talent for a number eight, and he smote his way to a century of his own. Most of the way he was scoring at a run a ball; though with little risk. The Queensland innings closed on the stroke of evening for 445, with the persevering Doggett claiming five hard-earned wickets to pair with his six far less arduous first-innings scalps.

Tomorrow will see the endgame. Queensland have batted their way back into the game, and the home side must not falter. The target of 270 is achievable, certainly. But they will need to concentrate, and blend the grim defiance of Clayton with the exuberance of Wildermuth. More as it comes to hand.

Weather, pitch and (of course) the ball had all noticeably quietened down as the home side resumed. Yet there was still swing, and a little seam movement, had any of the bowlers chosen to avail themselves of it. Inexplicably, the Bulls continued to pitch short; especially Vidler, whose youthful enthusiasm from the previous day shadowed off into a pointless expense of testosterone. And all this to Lehmann, who despite possessing more height, and far more hair, than his illustrious father does bat in the same way, preferring to rock back and blast the ball through the off-side. He looked every inch a Test batsman: rarely in trouble, and fluently striking the ball wherever he pleased. Manenti likewise was delighted not to have his front-foot deficiencies exposed, and stroked his way to a belligerent 47 before succumbing to a short ball from Swepson.

The leg-spinner was used sparingly, and delivered up a curious mixed salad of long-hops and wide balls. He was heavily punished (7/0/42/1), though to do him credit he did trap McAndrew plumb in front. The umpiring finger remained in abeyance however, for inscrutable reasons. Otherwise McAndrew lived up to his billing as a better than average no.9 and made a brisk 39. Finally Wildermuth conceived the novel idea of pitching the ball up, and two more wickets fell immediately. Lehmann was last out for a superb 102, giving the home side a solid lead of 176.

When the visitors batted again the Redback seamers mostly bowled a fuller length. It did mean that runs flowed freely; but they created far more opportunities. Khawaja played back to a fullish ball and edged Doggett behind for 21. Lovell was trapped leg before by Scott for a patient 38, and Doggett removed Labuschagne for an excellent 61. Marnus was fortunate earlier when caught in the outfield; but the bowler had overstepped by the breadth of an eyelash. Manenti bowled three late overs, and evidence of turn was uncovered. Much will depend on McDermott, although considerable credit is due to Jack Clayton, whose unobtrusive unbeaten 32 has shown a deal of promise. But with three men down, and a lead of a solitary run, Queensland have the job in front of them tomorrow.

The Pura Milk Cup having been dismissed with richly-deserved contumely, the domestic competition decider reverted some time ago to the traditional Sheffield Shield. Many have called into question the need for such a thing. Certainly the clarion calls to abolish the final and have the domestic competition as first-past-the-post have been strident of late. No less strident has been formation blether from past fossils who apparently still command some form of public megaphone. And look: we’re only going to say this once. Will you idiots lay off Usman, once and for all? The last thing our veteran Test opener needed on the brink of the Shield final was blithering nonsense about his injuries. Yes, we’ve actually noticed that Usman is a bit different. Yes, he’s a devout Muslim. We understand that this is a bit confronting for some folks. We urge them to contain their personal traumas and lay off. Is this too much to ask?

As it happened, it was the last thing Usman needed. In case you hadn’t noticed, Joe, he’s actually playing Shield cricket for his adopted home. He’s not footling around the IPL. He’s here, doing his thing for Queensland. He did not prosper today. Would he have, had over-mighty past players not poked unwanted oars into his personal  life? We will never know. Truth to tell, batting at Karen Rolton Oval today was far from easy. Nathan McSweeney took one look at the straw-tinged wicket, the humid atmosphere, the shiny red ball, and inserted the Bulls. Why would you not? Batting was going to be a chancy business, and the probability was that Queensland would fluff their lines. Which they did.

Nathan McAndrew must have wondered if he had stepped on a pavement crack and incurred some mysterious curse. His twelve overs with the new ball produced figures of 2/22; but it could have been so much more. He had Khawaja dropped twice as the ball swung around like a police helicopter above a public demonstration. One delivery to Labuschagne cannoned into the stumps and failed to disturb the bails. He and Jordan Buckingham might as well have been bowling the Holy Hand-Grenade of Antioch for all that the Bulls could decipher. In the twinkling of an eye they had descended to 5/22. The stalwart veteran Michael Neser launched a lifeboat, top-scoring with 34; but Brendan Doggett swept them away, taking 6/31 as the Bulls were dismissed for 95.

With the final all but lost, teenage tearaway Callum Vidler dragged the visitors back into the match with an exuberant spell of fast bowling. Hunt and McSweeney endured 34 scoreless deliveries between them as the ball continued to hoop around, and both departed for tortuous ducks. Sangha came and went to Neser. Conor McInerny kept the home side humming along by judicious wafts until he fell to Wildermuth. Vidler then prised out two more scalps and the match was back in the balance (In Trutina for Carmina Burana fans) at 6/112. Jake Lehmann meanwhile kept his head where his Test-playing team-mates had lost theirs.

But the archetype of Aussie country cricketer was waiting at No.8. Ben Manenti is built like the proverbial brick outhouse: bowlers’ droop moustache and all. His finger-spin will be needed later. But he showed the others how it should be done. The ball was losing its fiendish menace, and those who play straight and hit hard may well prosper. He and Lehmann have already put on 46 – 36 of them to the belligerent spinner –  and at 6/158 the Redbacks hold a pronounced advantage, with the pugnacious McAndrew still to come in. If conditions continue to favour seam bowling then the lead is already substantial. If (as might be expected) the pitch flattens out into a road, then the fourth innings might see conditions at their best for batting. Either way, South Australians may well look forward to their first triumph this century. Queensland has a great deal to do.