Test hopeful Usman Khawaja fell 15 runs short of a century but his classy knock proved the catalyst for Queensland's 30-run victory over NSW in the one-day clash in Canberra.
Khawaja, one of the leading contenders to replace Ricky Ponting in the Australian Test side, added further evidence to his case for a national recall in an 154-run opening stand with Chris Hartley (87) that laid the platform for the Bulls' total of 6-292.
It proved to be enough at Manuka Oval, despite Blues No.7 Ben Rohrer (80) farming the strike with aplomb in the final 20 overs to guide the hosts to a point where they needed just 34 runs off 29 balls with two wickets in hand.
Former NSW batsman Khawaja peeled off 10 boundaries, including a couple of sweetly-timed cover drives, in his 102-ball stay at the crease, before he was run out after a mid-pitch tangle with Blues quick Josh Lalor.
The 25-year-old slipped, lost his bat, and was found well short of his ground by Moises Henriques' direct hit.
Khawaja hung around, presumably seeking the umpires' opinion on just how much Lalor impeded his running, but was on his way for a well-made 85.
He did offer one chance while on six when Steve Smith dropped a catch at point.
Khawaja's final audition before Friday week's first Test against Sri Lanka will be on Thursday, when he captains the Chairman's XI in a three-day tour match against the tourists in Canberra.
His exit initially failed to halt the Bulls' momentum, with paceman Ben Cutting deployed as a pinch-hitting first drop with great success.
Cutting slugged three sixes in a quick-fire 39 before falling to Henriques when Stephen O'Keefe snaffled a skied catch, triggering a middle-order collapse from the visitors as they lurched from 1-211 to 5-225 in the space of 20 balls.
Cameron Gannon, who finished with figures of 5-38 from 11.2.
Cutting then did the damage with the ball, snaring the scalps of former Test allrounder Smith (four) and Peter Nevill (nine) to record figures of 2-41, while Gannon snatched the prized wicket of Brad Haddin to start the rot for the home side in the seventh over.
Opener Scott Henry (65) looked the goods for NSW, only for his promising knock to end with a spooned catch off Gannon in the 26th over.
Henriques fell in the same over and the hosts looked dead and buried soon after when O'Keefe fell for six and the score was 7-140, only for Rohrer to turn the game on its head, before NSW's chase ultimately fell short.
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