Bulls beat Tigers outright at the Gabba

BRISBANE, Nov 16 AAP - Defending champion Queensland flexed its Pura Cup muscle today while Test paceman Andy Bichel showed off his bowling brawn as the Bulls scored a five wicket win over Tasmania at the Gabba.

Bichel, who is vying with NSW speedster Brett Lee for a starting spot in the second Ashes Test against England starting in Adelaide on Thursday, finished with match figures of 9-92, including a second innings haul of 5-46.

The Bulls, who reached 5-116 chasing a modest 113, took less than three days to repeat last year's Pura Cup final win over the Tigers, giving long-serving bowler Michael Kasprowicz a memorable victory in his first game as captain.

Queensland was missing five regulars for the match - captain Jimmy Maher, specialist No.3 bat Martin Love and bowlers Ashley Noffke and Nathan Hauritz, who played for Australia A in Hobart.

Opening batsman Matthew Hayden was rested with a foot injury.

The Bulls had a few anxious moments when they stumbled to 4-67 today, chasing 113 in humid and showery conditions which favoured the bowlers in every session.

But allrounder Andrew Symonds steadied the ship with 38 not out to see Queensland home.

Earlier the home side knocked over Tasmania for 159, the visitors again suffering a post lunch collapse by losing five wickets for 28.

It was a similar scenario on the first day when the Tigers coasted to 0-98 before losing 6-57 in the session between lunch and tea.

Allrounder Shane Watson (57) and the versatile Scott Kremerskothen (39) provided some resistance to Bichel and Kasprowicz after the Tigers had collapsed to be 4-9 yesterday afternoon.

But when Kremerskothen provided Bulls keeper Wade Seccombe with his 400th first class catch with the total at 126, the fightback petered out with Sean Clingeleffer (1) and Damien Wright (0) both following in quick succession.

Kasprowicz joined Jeff Thomson as Queensland's second most successful domestic bowler behind Carl Rackemann (383 wickets) when he had Clingeleffer caught behind and then moved past the former Bulls captain when Wright became his 329th victim.

Kasprowicz rated the win highly, given Queensland's missing personnel.

"I think the fact that we had five of our full strength players not playing was very pleasing," he said.

"We are always backing ourselves and that is one of the strengths of our side."

National one day captain Ricky Ponting, who was dismissed cheaply in both innings for the Tigers, said his side would have to lift significantly in the batting department to register its first win of the competition this season.

The Bulls' win lifted then to third on the Pura Cup ladder.