Queensland's batsmen survived on the Gabba tightrope for long enough today to edge their noses in front of New South Wales during a difficult start to the Pura Cup match.

The Bulls were closing on first innings points when stumps was called on a long first day, which had the batsmen second-guessing on a Gabba wicket which regained some of its old zest.

It was green and the skies were grey, leaving New South Wales to scratch together 146 in its first innings before the Bulls reached 4-109 when bad light stopped play.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow, but there should still be time for a result if the Gabba maintains the tricks which prompted Bulls captain Stuart Law to ask the Blues to bat.

Frontline Blues batsmen Michael Slater (15) and Michael Bevan (three) were among the casualties, but the conditions had nothing to do with their departures against a Queensland attack underpinned by professional quick Michael Kasprowicz (5-44).

Slater tried to pull Kasprowicz in the fifth over of the morning, edging one of seven catches to wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe.

Only Bevan knows what he tried to do to the first ball from medium-pacer Andrew Symonds (3-30), but the result was an off-balanced looping catch to cover.

Symonds struck again with his next ball, claiming Michael Clarke for nought to leave NSW 3-38.

"I've played on worse wickets here but I'm not about to say anything bad about the batsmen who go out there and play their shots," Lee said.

"Bevo rarely plays a shot like that and he looked like he was going to bat for a long time but that shot was very uncharacteristic and sometimes that happens.

"It was a wicket where you never really felt 'in' as a batsmen and where bowlers always thought they were a chance.

"But this is going to be a six-point game so if we can get a couple of nicks tomorrow morning then we're really in with a chance."

The Blues got plenty of nicks after a 74-minute rain delay today, but every one of them flew over or short of a frustrated slips cordon.

Paceman Stuart Clark (3-31) showed plenty of anguish as he was edged to third man, but he was clearly the best NSW bowler, claiming Jimmy Maher (10), Jerry Cassell (12) and Martin Love (12).

Clinton Perren (37 not out) diced with the slips early before finding his feet for one of the more convincing efforts of the day, outside the usual hasty knock of Symonds.

His 23 from 27 balls ended with a run out, slipping as he turned back, to give the Blues a vital wicket before the umpires offered the light to the Bulls batsmen, despite the blazing Gabba floodlights.

"The red ball does get tough to see and it's different from the white ball, but we would have loved to keep going with them four-down," Lee said.

© 2001 AAP