Birthday boy Warner posts Shield ton

Birthday boy David Warner has bounced back from his first-innings failure with a rapid century in NSW’s second dig as he tunes up for the Test summer.

A determined Warner brought up the milestone on his 30th birthday, as Queensland’s bowlers had no answers for the Australia vice-captain on day three of the day-night Sheffield Shield fixture at the Gabba.

Queensland even handed the ball to Joe Burns, who was unable to rattle Warner with a bouncer on the stroke of tea.  

The left-hander survived a tricky hour before stumps on day two after the Bulls, buoyed by a ton to Test opener Burns, declared their first-innings three runs ahead of the Blues in search of late wickets under lights with the pink ball.

Coming through the testing period unscathed along with former Test opening partner Ed Cowan, Warner powered ahead on the third day, pummelling 13 boundaries and sharing in a first-wicket partnership that reached 230 before Cowan edged Charlie Hemphrey to first slip for 95.

His knock came after an eventful but unsuccessful first-innings effort where he made 12.

After scampering through a for a quick single in just the second over the match, Warner was floored by an errant throw that struck him in the midrift.

He briefly received some medical treatment as he lay on the Gabba turf but departed soon after resuming his innings, slashing wildly at a length delivery outside off-stump from Bulls quick Peter George, with his edge finding the grateful hands of Peter Forrest behind the wicket.

But Warner made amends the second time around, becoming the fourth player for the match to pass triple-figures.

Australia captain Steve Smith and young gun Kurtis Patterson both notched tons in the Blues’ first-innings, while Burns’ 129 came against a formidable NSW bowling-attack featuring Test spearheads Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

The day-night Sheffield Shield clash is the only first-class preparation for Australia’s Test players ahead of the first Commonwealth Bank Test at the WACA on November 3.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval against New Zealand last year, Australia will play two more Tests under lights this summer.

Smith’s men return to Adelaide for a day-night fixture against South Africa in late November while Pakistan, who defeated the West Indies in the second-ever pink-ball Test in Dubai last month, begins its series against Australia with a day-night Test at the Gabba in December.