Tasmania has won Ricky Ponting his elusive maiden Sheffield Shield title in a rollercoaster five-day draw with Queensland at Bellerive Oval.

The Tigers did not need a result to lift their third domestic first-class title but the defending champion Bulls required victory over the side they conquered in last year's final, a task which was nigh on impossible on the final day.

Ponting, who retired from the international arena after the third Test against South Africa in Perth this summer, was named Sheffield Shield player of the year after dominating the competition with the bat.

"I said when I retired from international cricket it'd be great to give this one more crack and try to win a title with Tassie," Ponting told Grandstand.

"I've lost a couple, I lost the one in Sydney (1993-94) and lost the one up at the Gabba last year so it's very special.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 2 minutes 16 seconds 2 m 16 s Interview: Ricky Ponting ( Alister Nicholson ) Download 1 MB

"I've been lucky enough to be around some great international teams and win World Cups and Ashes series but I never really got a crack at it at domestic level."

Ponting said the playing group was steeled by a disappointing end to last season which saw the Tigers fall to the Bulls in the Shield final and South Australia in the 50-over decider.

"The heartbreak of the last year with the Shield final going the way it did, the [One-Day] Cup final going the way it did, probably just hardened us all up a little bit this year.

"Things didn't always go the way we wanted them to during the season but our cricket over the last three or four weeks has been very good."

The former Australian captain's efforts of 35 and 1 in the final belied his successes with the willow this season, where he had amassed 875 runs at 87.5 coming into the decider.

"He's ticked a few things off in his life hasn't he," Tigers skipper George Bailey told Grandstand.

"Once again it's something really special. That's one of the really great things about this year.

"We were really challenged with more players than we've every had playing for Australia and coming into the team and out of the team.

"Through all of that we stuck to the things we were really good at and it was a bloody tough season but it was well worth it."

Another tilt?

Another career milestone ... Ricky Ponting gets up close and personal with the Sheffield Shield. ( Mark Metcalfe: Getty Images )

Ponting told Grandstand shortly after the close of play that he may return for another go at Bellerive next season.

"I'd love to do it again," he said.

"I've already told Tasmania Cricket I'd love to play again next year, but I've also told them not to contract me yet just in case it doesn't happen.

"If I end up playing I'll hopefully play enough games to get a contract upgrade and we'll go from there.

"It's been well documented that I've got a lot of cricket through the winter and that'll get me through to September.

"The state season starts around there somewhere so ... I've had a great time over the last three or four months and I'd love to do it again if possible."

Slugging it out

Set a mammoth 446 for victory - what would have been the highest winning fourth-innings total and one of the biggest final digs ever in Shield history - Queensland reached 6 for 183 by stumps.

"We dominated the game - in the end would've been nice to win but I guess that almost sums up the season, a really hard-fought draw," Bailey laughed.

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"It was that sort of Shield season.

"[I] couldn't be prouder. We've achieved some really special things as a group this year."

The Bulls were determined to make the Tigers work for their win, as Nathan Reardon and Chris Hartley (23 not out) combined for a gritty 44-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Reardon fell for 51 on his 149th delivery to bring James Hopes to the crease but the Queensland skipper was unable to bat out the day for his side, departing lbw for 10 off Luke Butterworth.

Michael Neser was the other unbeaten Bull, finishing on 18.

"The really pleasing thing to me was how keen the boys were to stick it out," Bailey said.

"And to be honest, even if we hadn't got that wicket of Hopes we were going to stick it out because that's the way we played.

"Certainly the last few weeks it's been about trying to take 20 wickets and fighting it out right to the end.

"It was pretty good fun fielding today."

Five full days

The seven-time Shield champion Bulls were vying for back-to-back titles for the first time since their hat-trick between 1999 and 2002.

Tasmania was bowled out in its second dig on Tuesday morning for 251, an innings built around knocks of 89 for man-of-the-match James Faulkner and 87 from Tim Paine.

But it was not all roses for the Tigers, who at one stage had slumped to 5 for 15 before Paine and Faulkner dug them out of a hole and all but sealed the result in doing so.

The home side set an imperious first-innings total of 419 thanks to a Jordan Silk century, Mark Cosgrove's top-order 58 and a strong 86 from Butterworth.

Queensland faltered in its reply and was 4 for 81 at one stage before Peter Forrest (56), Hartley (36) and Hopes (36) steadied the Bulls' ship and avoided the follow-on to make 225.

The Tigers last won the Shield in 2010-11 over New South Wales, five seasons after their maiden title in 2006-07 against the Blues - coincidentally also win which took the silverware from the Bulls' cabinet.

Departing coach Tim Coyle, who bows out after leading Tasmania to all three of its Shield titles, had nothing but praise for his troops.

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"I think the players have been fantastic, the responses that they've made to the challenges in front of us over the course of the last month has been tremendous," he said.

"It just goes to show what a great cricket team we've got in that room.

"It's a good time for me to move on and for someone else to come in. I've said that for quite a few months now, and even better now that we've won a new title.

"It's quite a healthy playing group. It's still a tough job but it's a good place for someone to start."