Cricket

Queensland's Angus Lovell has propelled the Bulls to a commanding position in their Sheffield Shield clash against New South Wales, scoring a maiden first-class century and leading his team to a 167-run lead.Lovell's unbeaten 146, crafted with patience and determination at Cricket Central in western Sydney, was the cornerstone of Queensland's dominant day three performance. The 25-year-old shared a mammoth 310-run partnership with Ben McDermott, who contributed a valuable 87 off 143 deliveries.Despite the absence of wickets for Test quick Josh Hazlewood, who bowled 24 overs without success, Queensland's top-six batsmen all made significant contributions. Lovell's century was particularly impressive, as he capitalized on two missed chances by NSW fielders.Lovell's heroics with the bat followed his impressive performance with the ball, where he claimed 3 for 13 to clean up the NSW tail. His all-round display continued a remarkable run of form, having recently scored an unbeaten 250 for Queensland's second XI.After McDermott's dismissal, Lovell forged another substantial partnership with Lachlan Hearne, who made 58 before falling to Ryan Hadley. Tanveer Sangha also picked up two wickets for NSW.Queensland will enter the final day with a significant advantage, needing to set a challenging target before attempting to dismiss NSW's batsmen. The Bulls will be aiming to build on their lead and secure a crucial victory in their Shield campaign.