Bulls refocus after frustrating WA defeat

Queensland's Chris Hartley might have had cause for complaint after a thrilling Sheffield Shield loss to Western Australia, but the Bulls skipper chose instead to focus on what his side needs to do to make the final.

Queensland appeared on track for the win at the WACA Ground in the final session when 2-162 chasing 282 after both teams set up a potential result on the final day.

WA lifted the run rate in their second innings making 5-291dec with Michael Klinger (102 not out) and Shaun Marsh (109) starring with the bat.

A win would have taken the Bulls to within one point of table-topping Victoria and almost nine points clear of the third-placed New South Wales.

However, they lost their last eight wickets for 75, despite 102 from Charles Hemphrey, to fall 24 runs short.

That leaves Queensland 6.96 points behind Victoria ahead of the two sides meeting at the Gabba next week, after which WA travel to take on the Bulls at the same venue in the final round.

Victories in both matches could see Hartley's men host the final.

"We play the team that's in front of us next week," he said simply. "So if we beat them everything's level and we look at what happens in the last round."

Hartley had plenty of reasons to be unhappy on a final day which began with a delay of an hour due to a wet wicket area after overwatering the previous night.

That delay was made up at the end of the day, leaving the Bulls pursuing their target in near darkness as Joel Paris and Michael Hogan were tearing in.

The pair took seven wickets between them with Paris's performance all the more frustrating for the Bulls given he was 100 per cent fresh having not played the first three days, with Australia World T20 squad member Nathan Coulter-Nile flying out to South Africa last night alongside Ashton Agar.

Quick Single: Solving Australia's top-order puzzle

"We had four days of sunshine with no rain so it seemed pretty unusual to lose an hour of play to a wet wicket block," Hartley said.

"I'm sure the WACA and whoever else that needs to look into that, will look into that.

"Cricket Australia need to manage certain players and if that's what they think the best way to do it in the Sheffield Shield is, then we will play by those rules.

"I'm sure our batsmen will want to face the best bowlers possible so if that means those two players had to be rotated in and out, that's fine."