Reliable runmakers Jimmy Maher and Stuart Law avoided a burst from Stuart MacGill to steer Queensland to familiar territory in the Pura Cup cricket match against New South Wales here today.

Maher (113) and Law (63) handed out a lesson to their junior batting partners as the Bulls took control at the Gabba before their bowlers tightened the screws late on the second day.

At stumps, NSW was 3-93 in its second innings, still needing another 111 runs to make the Bulls bat again.

The visitors should have lost their appetite for dinner after watching batsman Michael Clarke (14) fall on the last ball before stumps, edging Ashley Noffke (3-41) to Maher at slip.

They will need a touch of magic to avoid defeat tomorrow but they can at least rely on stand-in skipper MacGill troubling the Bulls if they are forced to bat again.

MacGill took 5-78 today, keeping Queensland honest with some classy leg-spin. With national selector Trevor Hohns watching on, MacGill delivered a mature spell without finding enough support at the other end.

He was unable to prevent another profitable performance from Maher and Law, who will shoulder plenty of responsibility when the Bulls host Victoria in the final next week.

Queensland boasts five batsmen with averages better than 50 this summer but Maher and Law will be the only players from that batch available for the final. They showed their liking for the Gabba with a stand of 76 which ensured NSW would start their second innings bobbing in the deep end.

The Blues began on a promising note when new opening combination Phil Jaques and Greg Mail survived against the most potent bowling attack in the competition. But the hard work came unstuck with both players on 23.

Mail edged Noffke to Seccombe before Jaques punched a careless shot to replacement fielder James Hopes at wide mid-on.

Clarke and Matthew Phelps (23 not out) then steadied the innings before Clarke's unfortunate departure as the shadows lengthened across the Gabba.

The Blues still have explosive batsmen Mark Higgs and Brad Haddin up their sleeves and the pair will bat on a pitch which doesn't hold too many gremlins.

Queensland decided to rest Law after his knock to ensure he would recover from a minor foot problem before the final. But the Bulls had a handy replacement in Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who spent a few hours in the field before heading to India with the national one-day squad tomorrow.

© 2001 AAP