With a riot act ringing in his ears, South Australian batsman Callum Ferguson struck a career-best score which puts him on the cusp of national selection, Queensland coach Darren Lehmann says.

Ferguson's stoic 164 underpinned the Redbacks' 9(dec)-402 against the Bulls in the Sheffield Shield game at Adelaide Oval.

SA allrounder Dan Christian then made two substantial dents in Queensland's batting line-up as the Bulls reached 3-135 at stumps on Wednesday's second day.

Christian dismissed Usman Khawaja (19) and Peter Forrest (four) to leave Queensland teetering at 3-55, before unbeaten half-centuries to Wade Townsend and Joe Burns steadied the visitors.

But it was Ferguson's highest first-class score, completed earlier in the day, which left lasting impressions on Bulls coach Lehmann and his SA counterpart Darren Berry.

"He obviously didn't play too many risky shots for the whole innings," Lehmann said.

"It was good to see him play well, he's obviously close to playing for Australia ... he looked the goods."

Berry said Ferguson's 342-ball knock was just the innings he, and national selectors, have been craving from the renowned dasher.

"He has had the riot act read," Berry said.

"We put a lot of acid on him to go big, not just get a hundred.

"It's the best innings that I have seen him play ... I have seen him play some brilliant innings but this was an ugly hundred - Callum Ferguson doesn't normally make ugly hundreds.

"(Australian selector) Rod Marsh has been here watching this game and Fergie has put his name up - but he has got to do that more and more often."

The Redbacks, seeking to snap a winless streak in the Shield dating back to November 2010, declared about 45 minutes after lunch on day two - and the pace of their innings attracted criticism from Lehmann.

"I would have liked them to be a little more proactive but I understand what they're trying to do," Lehmann said.

"We don't really like playing for first innings points but they batted quite slowly in a normal game of cricket.

"We will just have to sum up what happens from here, we're in no control of that at the moment.

"We don't like to play for two (points), it doesn't win you anything really."