Street racer: Bryce changes gears with bat and ball

On a pitch bearing striking similarities to bitumen, it was unsurprising a bloke named Street made himself at home and hurtled along at speeds hitherto unseen in his previously ponderous Queensland career.

Bryce Street's career-high 143 from 334 balls in the bat-dominated Marsh Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania not only came at a rate almost 40 per cent higher than his typical cruising pace.

It also included three sixes, the first time in his 26 Shield innings to date the 23-year-old has cleared the boundary rope which explains why the left-hander has developed a reputation for attrition rather than acceleration.

All three blows were landed against spin – the first a slog-sweep off Jarrod Freeman as he cruised into the 70s, then a couple of seemingly effortless on-drives against rival skipper Beau Webster's offies as he closed in his hundred and another off Freeman to the delight of his Bulls teammates.

When he eventually fell – caught at gully by the only fielder behind the stumps after a half-hearted attempt to glide to third man – Street boasted an innings strike rate of 42.81 compared to his career mark of 30.50.

"I definitely got a bit of an upgrade in bats, so thanks Kookaburra," said Street whose previous Shield innings was a circumspect 46 in almost five hours in the final against New South Wales.

"And I can joke and say the gym program definitely got me on the improvement as well, but no.

"I've just been working on a few things in the off-season, obviously I've been quite a slow scorer from the start of my Shield career.

"But I'm definitely looking to have a few more tricks up my sleeve when the ball gets old and the wickets are flat, so I guess it was nice to be able to put them into use on a wicket like that."

And as the self-acknowledged 'stats nerd' was also keenly aware, his big-hitting came a day after claiming his maiden Shield wicket with his useful medium-pacers which – given the nature of the strip at Rolton Oval – may yet stand as an even greater achievement than his trio of maximums.

Although the scalp of Webster yesterday was likely less of a surprise to the Queensland brains trust given Street had taken 6-62 in the preceding round of Queensland Premier Cricket, bowling his seamers first-change for Sandgate-Redcliff who he captains.

"I got a chance to bowl in my first season of Shield cricket and really disappointed myself," Street said at day's end.

"I think I bowled two overs against Tasmania, and one over against Victoria that included three fullies (full-tosses) so I lost the right to bowl from Uzzie (Khawaja) for a little while there.

"But I've been bowling okay in club cricket, so when we became so desperate Uz threw me the ball and I was actually more nervous for the bowling than with the batting.

"It was a pretty special moment, so I cherish that one.

"I had a few grumpy people bowling 30 overs before a Shield game, but I only bowl 115 (kph) medium-pace so it's not that difficult to manage myself.

"I wouldn't say I'm ever going to be an all-rounder, I lack the pace … and the build.

"It's just golden arm, so if you're 150 overs deep and in need of a wicket I might be of some service to you."

Despite Street's new-found batting urgency and an even more sparkling 106no (from 168 balls) by Bulls keeper Jimmy Peirson, the Shield season seems destined for its second successive draw with Tasmania 1-59 in their second innings and leading by 204 with a day to play.

Queensland skipper Usman Khawaja tried to breathe life into a fixture as moribund as the playing surface by declaring his team's first innings 145 runs in arrears, soon after Peirson had reached his century and ensured the follow-on mark was surpassed.

But the prospect of Tasmania – who have lost 13 of their past 14 Shield matches against the reigning champions – setting a generous target are about as remote as them claiming 10 Queensland wickets given batters have succumbed at the rate of barely one per session across the game so far.

Indeed, the only period in which ball threatened to dominate was in the hours either side of stumps last night when Queensland lost star quartet Joe Burns (26), Marnus Labuschagne (32), Khawaja (20) and Matthew Renshaw (11) after each had made a start.

Khawaja could consider himself unlucky to have feathered an attempted leg glance that stand-in keeper Ben McDermott intercepted in stunning style with an outstretched right glove.

Renshaw was off-spinner Freeman's second wicket when he was struck low on the front pad, leaving Queensland shaky at 4-172 and 328 runs adrift of Tasmania's daunting first innings total.

However, the reliable Street and enterprising Peirson – who had also received a new consignment of hardware from his bat sponsor after his existing kit was stolen from the team van earlier in the week – gave barely a chance across the ensuing session and a half.

The fleeting prospect of a run out went begging after the pair got their wires crossed, and Peirson might have been caught on 36 when he slashed a head-high chance between McDermott and slip who was set wide.

But those moments aside, it was the Tasmania bowlers' turn to labour unrewarded as Street blunted and then blazed to his fourth Shield ton in his 17th match and then past his previous highest score which was 117 (off 335 balls in almost eight hours) against Western Australia last summer.

The thankless task for bowlers was highlighted by Tasmania's decision shortly before tea to deploy part-time bowling pair Jordan Silk and Charlie Wakim, who boasted one wicket apiece from their combined 100 first-class appearances.

Peirson's second first-class hundred – his first also coming in Adelaide, against South Australia at Glenelg Oval a year ago – arrived courtesy of a brutal pull to the square leg boundary off Sam Rainbird, and was met by raucous applause from the Queensland dug-out.

Which was probably just as well, as the 28-year-old seemed utterly oblivious to the milestone until the din alerted him to check the electronic scoreboard.

With 20 overs to face after Queensland's declaration, Tasmania made a breezy start with openers Caleb Jewell and Tim Ward taking 14 off the first three overs before Renshaw's off-spin was introduced to try and quell the pair of left-handers.

But when Jewell was trapped lbw by Matt Kuhnemann with six overs left in the day, the Tigers opted for safety by sending out first innings nightwatchman Lawrence Neil-Smith who duly soaked up 25 deliveries in scoring a solitary run before stumps.

"For the declaration we gave them, I would hope they give us the chance to have a result," Street said when asked if he expected a sporting target to be set by Tasmania tomorrow.

"That's kind of how we've set the game up for them, it would have been easy for us to keep batting and get a lead … but I guess the ball's in their court."

Sign up for BKT Big Bash Tipping this season at tipping.cricket.com.au! Go for the major prize or join a league and take on your friends, family and colleagues.