A calm century from Martin Love helped Queensland defuse a hot-tempered New South Wales in a spiteful ING Cup cricket clash at the Gabba tonight.

Love's 127 from as many balls propelled the Bulls to a six-wicket win, pushing them into a share of the competition lead with the butter-fingered Blues and Western Australia.

NSW was always behind the pace tonight after Love and Jimmy Maher (47 from 62 balls) quickly made the Blues' total of 7-271 look shaky as the Bulls reached 4-272 from 47.1 overs.

The Blues had a faint sniff midway through the run chase when captain Shane Lee (2-39) and leg-spinner Stuart MacGill (2-62 from 10) outfoxed Andrew Symonds (four) and Clinton Perren (zero) to leave Queensland 4-197.

Lee claimed a popped return catch from Symonds before throwing the wicket down - with Symonds already out - and then giving the Queenslander a verbal send-off.

MacGill was just as frustrated in the next over when he trapped Perren LBW.

Perren was unhappy with the dismissal and accidentally dropped his glove as he departed, only to watch it fall into the team huddle of the celebrating Blues.

MacGill picked up the glove, held it to his chest and gave Perren a verbal spray before tossing the glove back at him.

MacGill has already been fined for dissent this season and he was roundly booed by the 16,000 Queensland fans, who had their revenge two overs later when all-rounder James Hopes smacked MacGill 12 rows back into the northern stand.

They cheered again soon after when MacGill dropped a catch from Hopes at fine leg, continuing a poor fielding performance by the Blues in the last two weeks.

Lee, who was responsible for a costly missed chance in Queensland's eight-wicket win in the Pura Cup match earlier this week, missed a catch from Love on 65.

Love reached his century on a misfield from MacGill and barely looked troubled as he guided Queensland to its third win from four matches, exacting revenge for NSW's five-wicket victory at the SCG.

Hopes followed his sound bowling and fielding performance with an impressive 52 not out from 50 balls to leave the Blues without a point from their two matches in Brisbane this week.

Love had been promoted into the opening spot made vacant by Test opener Matthew Hayden and he executed a calculated, if not daring innings to reach his second domestic one-day century.

But the 27-year-old had to survive a loud appeal from his first ball when the Blues believed he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin from the bowling of Nathan Bracken.

That would have continued an excellent night for Haddin, whose explosive 74 from 55 balls put the Blues on the path to a big total.

But his departure, following the loss of former Test players Michael Slater (five) and Michael Bevan (26 from 63), left the Blues scratching for runs.

Their mid-innings lapse, caused by tight bowling from Symonds and Hopes, ended when promising young batsman Michael Clarke worked 62 runs from 79 balls.

© 2001 AAP