It was one of those "you had to be there to see it" days at the Gabba.

Victoria's batting on the way to a woeful first innings of 148 after being sent in by Queensland in their Pura Cup match bordered on embarrassing.

But Queensland made Victoria's form with the willow appear almost brilliant after staging one of their worst starts to an innings in recent memory.

Needing only first innings points to secure a home final, the Bulls batted like a social pub team.

At one stage they staggered like drunks at 6-22, in real danger of posting Queensland's lowest score in almost a century.

Stand-in skipper Martin Love could be excused, the victim of a dubious call to a ball down the leg side which may not have snicked his bat.

Wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe was forced to play a good length delivery from Mathew Inness which he edged to 'keeper Darren Berry on five.

Queensland's worst first class batting performance was 42 back in 1903-4.

Its lowest Sheffield Shield score of 52 in the early 1980s was under threat until Lee Carseldine (36 not out) and Ashley Noffke (nine not out) staged a 42-run seventh wicket stand which they need to build on tomorrow.

The Bulls crash was of Wall Street proportions, six wickets squandered before their lunch had time to settle.

Dandenong rookie paceman, William Carr, playing in only his third match for the Bushrangers, ploughed through a brittle Bulls top order sadly missing Matthew Hayden, Jimmy Maher and late withdrawal Stuart Law.

He fired out openers Brendan Nash (1) and dangerman Love (five) before adding Andrew Symonds (nought) and a careless Clinton Perren (two) to his career best haul of 4-22.

And he hasn't finished.

At one point Carr had the stunning figures of 4-12.

His performance overshadowed a fine display by Bulls teenager Scott Brant who performed his own demolition job on Victoria.

Zimbabwe-born Brant, who under ACB rules is not allowed bowl more than 20 overs in a day or more than eight overs in one spell, to protect him from injury, a rule blasted by former Australian speedster Jeff Thomson, featured in six dismissals.

The 19 year-old took three wickets - two in the first session - and dragged in a classic diving catch to remove a stubborn Matthew Mott, plucking the boundary-bound ball out of the air in spectacular fashion.

Mott, who prodded, pushed and poked at 110 deliveries for his 34 runs, was beginning to look a threat before Brant's full length dive ended his innings just after lunch.

Brant utilised the morning conditions perfectly after stand-in Bulls captain Love put the Bushrangers in on a wicket which was hardly a fearsome greentop - although made difficult by an uneven bounce.

Love refused to blame the wicket for Queensland's crash.

"Those two guys (Carseldine and Noffke) have shown the rest of us how to bat, they toughed it out really well," said Love.

"It's a six point game guaranteed; even if we don't get first innings points, we're still in it."

© 2002 AAP