SA salvage Shield draw with Queensland

Queensland have missed a golden opportunity to solidify their spot in the Sheffield Shield top two after Jake Lehmann and Nathan McSweeney secured a draw for South Australia.

On a fighting final day in Adelaide, the pair batted through 65 overs to help wipe out Queensland's 102-run first innings lead and take South Australia to 3-246 when the match was called.

Wednesday's result still leaves the Bulls in second spot on the ladder, but vulnerable of falling below Tasmania at the halfway point of the season if the Tigers beat Victoria this week.

Under Sheffield Shield rules the top two teams qualify for the March final, with the majority of the rest of the season to be played without Test stars.

But the story could have been so much different for Queensland.

Xavier Bartlett ripped through the Redbacks to leave them 5-25 on the opening morning, placing Queensland in the driver's seat early on.

After the hosts fought back to be all out for 240, the Bulls then had the chance to build a big first-innings lead of close to 200 and push for an outright result at 2-184 in reply.

But when Joe Burns ran himself out on 85, the Bulls lost eight wickets in the middle session of day three to be all out for 342 and a lead of 102.

Queensland then had one last sniff when Bartlet had Daniel Drew (37) edging on the first ball of the fourth morning, with his second-innings figures of 2-48 to go with his first-innings 4-64.

The right-armer also then swung one across Jake Carder (54) to have him caught at third slip, leaving the Redbacks three down while still trailing by two.

But then came McSweeney and Lehmann, with the former soaking up 218 balls for his unbeaten 77 and the latter scoring 68 from 181.

The pair batted smartly in their 146-run stand, with the only major opportunity coming when McSweeney survived a close run-out call just before lunch.

"We have had some good chats about trying to be a little bit more gritty, a little bit harder and more team orientated," Lehmann said. 

"Really drive everyone supporting everyone mould. And hopefully you can see that."

At one stage quick Gurinder Sandhu even turned to off spin, while Burns and fellow opening bat Bryce Street were both also used with the ball.

"There were moments of the game we didn't capitalise on," Queensland captain Jimmy Peirson said.

"We would have liked to have a result on day four late, but not today."

The result means South Australia momentarily go ahead of NSW who are now bottom of the ladder, pending the result of the Blues' clash with Western Australia at the SCG.