Queensland's Andrew Symonds has a reputation for tormenting opposition bowlers at the Gabba but today he used an old red ball to bring New South Wales to its knees in a fast-moving Pura Cup match.

The all-rounder claimed three wickets in 23 balls with his medium pace to leave the Blues in serious trouble at stumps on the second day.

They were 7-180 in their second innings - leading Queensland by just 90 runs - and the match will be over early on the third day unless Brisbane turns on more November rain.

The clouds threatened all day but held off as Queensland (236) claimed first innings points on the back of captain Stuart Law (70) and Wade Seccombe (49), who added 109 for the sixth wicket.

The Blues wiped off the last five Bulls batsmen for 18 runs but the hard work unravelled when young Queensland paceman Ashley Noffke (2-24) justified his emerging reputation with an excellent spell.

He knocked over former Test batsmen Michael Slater (41) and Michael Bevan (three) before Symonds (3-19) rattled the Blues for a second time in two days. The all-rounder again claimed dangermen Michael Clarke (36) and Mark Higgs (four) but his dismissal of opener Greg Mail for 56 turned the match to the home team.

NSW had edged to 2-142 on a wicket still proving tough for the batsmen but the Blues' hopes for a competitive second innings were blown away when Symonds claimed his 100th first-class wicket in his 128th match.

Some of those wickets had come with off-spin but Symonds had been warned last week to crank up his medium pace in anticipation of a Gabba greentop.

"I got back into the nets and did some work with (injured swing bowler) Adam Dale and I was just trying to get my old stuff back," Symonds said.

"I bowled a bit of medium pace in club cricket earlier this year and I felt last night that I was starting to get it back."

Former Test quick Michael Kasprowicz (2-70) also figured in the Blues' collapse of 5-31 when he claimed captain Shane Lee (seven) and Brad Haddin (zero) in the same over.

That completed a bad day for Lee, who was made pay for dropping Seccombe earlier in the day when the wicketkeeper had scored just 11.

Lee spilled a relatively straight-forward catch at first slip from Nathan Bracken (3-71) and he watched as Seccombe and Law then added another 95 runs.

They were like gold in the conditions and Queensland caved in once the partnership was broken.

Lee also dropped Law on 66 from the bowling of Stuart Clark (4-61) but he did not have to wait long for his rival captain to fall.

Clark was the pick of the NSW bowlers and his performance was the best of the match until Noffke found his range in front of national selector Trevor Hohns. The 24-year-old continually beat the bat of Mail, who did well to add a half-century to his defiant first innings knock of 42.

© 2001 AAP