Queensland 529 (Labuschagne 167, Neser 121) beat Tasmania 250 (McDermott 74, Neser 5-32) and 220 (Silk 51, Swepson 4-66) by an innings and 59 runs
Tasmania hung on until well inside the final hour, but legspinner Mitchell Swepson proved the matchwinner for Queensland - with a little help from fellow wristspinner Marnus Labuschagne - as they secured an innings-and-59-run victory with less than six overs to spare on an enthralling final day.
Queensland entered the last hour with three wickets in hand, but with seven fielders around the bat, some fielding on their knees, and the appealing becoming ever more desperate, Labuschagne broke through when he had Nathan Ellis well caught at slip by Usman Khawaja after 112 balls of defiance.
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That was soon followed when Swepson pinned Jackson Bird lbw with a googly, but there was time for Queensland to get tense again as Peter Siddle (12 off 85 balls) and last-man Riley Meredith got it down to half a dozen overs remaining when Swepson squeezed one under Meredith's bat.
Swepson finished with 4 for 66 from 45.2 overs - comfortably the most he had bowled in the second innings of a match - and he managed to keep his composure when success did not come easily during the first two sessions of the day. It took him until shortly after tea, in his 34th over, to add to his wicket yesterday evening of Charlie Wakim when he ended Beau Webster's determined stay with an edge to slip.
Credit to @mitchswepson in his marathon spells - when the game was there to be won, he stepped up (again). Well done to the young leg spinner #SpinToWin #TASvQLD #SheffieldShield https://t.co/dCtbrrOQjT
— Bryce McGain (@BryceMcGain18) October 13, 2020
Tasmania had resumed on 3 for 86, still 193 behind, and with a huge task to try and save the match despite a surface that remained largely benign - offering greater credit for Queensland's well-balanced attack managing 20 wickets.
It took until the 28th over of the morning session for Queensland to make the breakthrough when Jack Wildermuth skidded one through Jordan Silk for a gutsy half-century that spanned 201 deliveries and gave his team-mates hope that survival was possible.
Xavier Bartlett, the pace bowler in just his fourth first-class match, produced a superb afternoon spell which included an unplayable delivery to bowl Tim Paine which left Tasmania six down well before tea. He had also trapped Jake Doran lbw with a slightly dubious decision after the young left hander had faced 155 balls for his 36.