Hartley breaks record with catch No.500

Queensland captain Chris Hartley has made history becoming the first wicketkeeper to take 500 Sheffield Shield catches on day three of the Bulls' clash with Tasmania.

Hartley entered the pink ball day-night game at the Gabba needing three catches to reach the landmark and surpass Victorian Darren Berry's previous record of 499 Shield catches.

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The myFootDR Bulls veteran moved to 498 on Sunday when Australia one-day international batsman George Bailey fell for a 14-ball duck in the first session of the match.

Next, he drew level with Darren Berry on 499 when teenaged Tasmanian batsman Jake Doran became James Hopes' second victim in the second session.

Hartley was forced to wait until Tasmania's second innings on Tuesday to break the record, but he did so in style with a diving catch to his left to end Bailey's innings for five off the bowling of Jack Wildermuth.

In doing so, he became the first to 500 catches, although he still has some way to go to break Berry’s overall Shield record, with the Victorian having completed 546 dismissals to Hartley's 514.

Berry took to social media before the match to pass on his best wishes. “Good luck Harts ... fantastic servant for Queensland,’’ Berry tweeted. “Every record is made to be broken.’’

Earlier this summer, Hartley surpassed Wade Seccombe to claim Queensland's first-class catching record and become the state's most prolific 'keeper.

The Shield match against the Tigers is turning out to be a productive one for Hartley, who also scored 68 not out with the bat in the Bulls' first-innings total of 376.