Conway burst fires Blues as Khawaja fails again

Dropped Test batsman Usman Khawaja's lean run has continued, as NSW paceman Harry Conway continued his remarkable hold over Queensland with four wickets in one over at the SCG.

Khawaja was dismissed for 20 on Saturday's opening day of the Marsh Sheffield Shield top-of-the-ladder match in which the Bulls were bowled out for 240 after he won the toss.

The Queensland captain has scored just 81 runs at an average of 11.57 from seven Shield innings this season.

Debutant Liam Hatcher made the early inroads and finished with 3-40.

Fellow paceman Conway obliterated the Bulls' tail by taking 5-15, ending the innings with a quadruple-wicket maiden, though he missed out on a hat-trick.

It was Conway's third five-wicket haul in as many innings this season against Queensland. He has taken an astonishing 15-71 across the two matches.

All of Queensland's top eight reached double figures and six of them made at least 20.

Opener Bryce Street top-scored for the Bulls with a dogged 58 off 200 balls.

Jimmy Peirson finished 38 not out and Matthew Renshaw scored 36 but an opening partnership of 50 and a seventh-wicket 62 were the only significant stands in the innings.

While the Blues were without their four Test bowlers, the NSW attack toiled well on a good wicket.

Bushfire smoke, blanketing Sydney, was again present and the ground resembled a patchwork quilt after the turf was re-laid last week.

NSW Blues: Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Daniel Solway, Moises Henriques, Matthew Gilkes, Peter Nevill (c & wk), Sean Abbott, Steve O’Keefe, Trent Copeland, Harry Conway, Liam Hatcher

Queensland: Bryce Street, Matthew Renshaw, Usman Khawaja (c), Sam Heazlett, Charlie Hemphrey, Jimmy Peirson (c & wk), Jack Wildermuth, Michael Neser, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Billy Stanlake