Rising quick Ben Cutting severed stonewalling Tasmania's faint comeback hopes to have Queensland eying maximum Sheffield Shield points at the Gabba.

Two wickets in the first three deliveries with the second new-ball by Cutting late on Tuesday has virtually condemned the dogged Tigers to an outright loss.

Trailing by 226 on the first innings, Tasmania will start the final day at 6-209 praying batting stalwart Dan Marsh (40 not out) can combine with Brett Geeves and the rest of the tail long enough to deny the Bulls.

A draw was firming as a possible result when Marsh and Luke Butterworth (25) crept to 4-189 in a safety-first 69-run union against the Bulls honest attack.

But Cutting (3-33) turned the Tigers' second innings on its head on taking the new ball midway through the 83rd over.

Butterworth immediately edged the tall paceman to second slip. The Bulls celebrations were doubled two balls later as Jason Krejza clipped Cutting straight to square leg.

With the ball still shiny and 96 overs to play, it would take a minor miracle for Tasmania to avoid defeat.

So determined were the Tigers to fight back they knocked back an extra afternoon drinks break to ensure the race that stops the nation failed to stop Shield action.

While the Bulls and umpires happy to have an unscheduled break at 2pm local time the slow-moving Tasmanian innings meandered on as Shocking blitzed its rivals at Flemington.

The day started brightly for the visitors when Krejza picked up a wicket on the first ball of the day to deny hard-hitting tailender Chris Swan a maiden century.

Swan, who blasted 82 of the Bulls last 98 runs as they made 382, cut a short Krejza loosener straight to point.

The Tigers top-order, rolled within the first hour on the opening day under cloudy skies, battened down from the outset in their second dig but never managed to get on top.

Jon Wells (10) fell early, driving left-armer Scott Walter to gully for his fifth scalp of the match.

Ed Cowan (26) dug in for two hours and Alex Doolan (59) three for his maiden Shield half-century before falling to a leg-side trap in the penultimate over before tea by hooking Ben Cutting to deep square.

When skipper George Bailey (25) was adjudged caught behind off leg-spinner Dan Doran soon after tea, Tasmania were 4-130, still 96 in arrears.