A big pay day is still on offer for Queensland’s cricketers after they downed Western Australia by 37 runs at the Gabba on Saturday night to ensure they will host next week’s Twenty20 domestic preliminary final.

Bulls skipper Chris Simpson’s 76 off 38 balls helped lift his side to the biggest domestic Twenty20 total this season – 7-203 – before the Warriors were restricted to 5-166 off their 20 overs.

The winners of Tuesday’s preliminary final between Queensland and Victoria will play South Australia in the competition decider – and also book a spot in the lucrative Champions League in India.

In the end, Queensland romped to their third straight win in front of a 17,645-strong Gabba crowd.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle’s return from injury for WA proved a smash hit – but it wasn’t quite what the dreadlocked opener had in mind.

Sidelined for the past three games with a side strain, Gayle needed to produce his trademark fireworks after WA required more than 10 runs an over to reel in the Bulls.

It looked like it might be his night when he smashed a six and then was dropped by Glen Batticciotto on 17.

However, a short time later Ben Cutting claimed the prized scalp on the same score when Gayle swung lustily – only to hammer the top of his stumps.

He fell just moments after fellow dangerman Shaun Marsh (12) was bowled by Nathan Rimmington to reduce WA to 2-31, and the visitors never recovered.

Big hitting left-hander Wes Robinson (51 off 40) did his best to keep WA in the hunt, but it was too little, too late as James Hopes and Cutting (both 2-30) helped turn the screws.

Earlier, Simpson and Craig Philipson (46 not out off 28 balls) helped lift the Bulls to the imposing total.

Simpson thumped 11 fours and three sixes – as well as Aaron Heal’s confidence.

After Heal dropped Simpson in the first over, the WA slow bowler was positively tortured by the Bulls skipper in an eventful Nathan Coulter-Nile over.

The Bulls skipper skied a catch to Heal on the boundary, only for the WA fieldsman to run in too far and completely misjudge it – and cost his side four runs.

After thrashing another boundary past the hapless Heal, Simpson then thumped the ball straight to the WA spinner – only for him to over-run the ball and cost his side more runs.

Along the way, Simpson brought up his first Twenty20 50 in just 23 balls.

But Heal (1-28) got the last laugh when Simpson was stumped by Luke Ronchi in bizarre fashion off the slow bowler.

After the decision was thrown to the third umpire, replays showed Simpson made his ground after taking a mighty heave at Heal – only for the bat to bounce in the air as Ronchi broke the stumps.

WA seamer Brad Knowles (2-48) was on a hat-trick when Andrew Symonds thrashed the ball straight to former teammate Ashley Noffke at mid-on for a golden duck.

© AAP 2012

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