Veteran skipper James Hopes spearheaded a Queensland fightback on day three of the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at Bellerive.

Hopes grabbed 4-20 to help reduce the home side to 6-64 in their second innings – a lead of 231 at tea.

The 35-year-old’s masterful display of swing bowling came after his side had lost 7-47 on Saturday morning to be all out for just 183.

Tasmania’s hopes of setting a sizeable target rested with Jonathan Wells (17no) and tailender Ben Hilfenhaus (1no), who earlier had taken the first hat-trick of his career.

After two days of slow going, the game exploded on day three with 13 wickets falling.

Hilfenhaus’s (4-49) hat-trick ensured a Queensland collapse before lunch after they had resumed their first innings at 3-136 in reply to Tasmania’s 350.

The former Test paceman scythed through the Bulls’ batting, trapping Hopes (12) lbw before clean bowling Ben Cutting (0) and Cameron Boyce (0) to reduce the visitors to 8-170.

The 30-year-old, who played 27 Tests, became the fourth Tasmanian to take a Shield hat-trick.

Not to be outdone, fellow paceman Andrew Fekete (3-41) will start the second innings on a hat-trick after mopping up the tail with consecutive deliveries.

For the Bulls, only rising star Joe Burns passed 50, the opener carrying his bat to remain unbeaten on 91 from 226 balls.

Tasmania lost Ed Cowan (1) at 1-1 when the former Test opener nicked Hopes behind before Luke Feldman (2-20) chimed in with two scalps for 3-36.

Hopes then struck three times to have Tasmania reeling at 6-60.

The Shield finalists from last season both need an outright victory to stay in touch with the ladder leaders.