New South Wales 7 for 269 (Abbott 66, Nevill 54*, Swepson 4-92) trail Queensland 298 (Labuschagne 117, Starc 4-76) by 29 runs

Late wickets for Mitchell Swepson kept the contest between Queensland and New South Wales very even after a century stand between Peter Nevill and Sean Abbott had threatened to take control.

Swepson collected four wickets overall, the pick of them a beautiful leg-break from round the wicket that spun sharply to take Abbott's off stump and end the sixth-wicket stand 106 which had swung the game New South Wales' way after they had been 5 for 149.

Until Nevill, who remained unbeaten on 54, and Abbott converted into half-centuries it had been a day of the New South Wales top order failing to capitalise after they had taken the last three Queensland wickets inside the opening ten overs.

An opening stand of 67 was broken when Nick Larkin was pinned lbw by Jack Wildermuth early in the afternoon session Swepson then got to work when he beat Kurtis Patterson with one that slid on as he skipped down the pitch.

Five balls later Daniel Hughes' promising innings was ended when he inside-edged a drive against Xavier Bartlett. The trend of starts was continued by Moises Henriques, two days after he had earned an Australia recall, when he missed a sweep against Swepson. Daniel Solway became the third batsman to fall for 23, gloving a short ball from round the wicket unable to drop his hands, and Queensland had their noses in front.

Nevill was given a life on 13, dropped a square as he pulled, and runs came at a good rate against the older ball. Abbott attacked Swepson, hitting him for three sixes and taking 38 runs off 31 balls against the legspinner, during his second half-century in consecutive games until Swepson found the telling response.

Mitchell Starc then skied a slog sweep to mean that New South Wales still had work to do to take a lead. He had early finished with a four-wicket haul as Queensland's lower order couldn't take them beyond 300. Overall they lost their last six wickets for 47 runs.