Western Australia’s fast bowler Lance Morris is poised to compete against New South Wales as Western Australia strives to secure a spot in their fourth consecutive Sheffield Shield final. His participation is being carefully managed due to workload considerations.
Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon, the Test off-spinner, will remain sidelined for NSW for the remainder of the season to recover from a hip injury sustained during the Sri Lanka tour. Matthew Kuhnemann, Lyon’s spin partner in Sri Lanka, will return for Tasmania after being cleared of throwing allegations by the ICC. Usman Khawaja is also set to rejoin Queensland’s team.
Morris has been included in WA’s 14-man squad alongside Cameron Bancroft, who is set to play his 100th Shield match against NSW at the WACA ground, returning from a shoulder injury.
Morris’s inclusion is particularly noteworthy as Cricket Australia is managing his playing schedule. He has played only three Shield matches this season due to workload management after a stress fracture and a quad strain. Initially planned to rest for the NSW match, Morris is now expected to play, potentially making him unavailable for the final due to concerns from CA’s medical team about back-to-back games given his injury history. However, Morris is reportedly frustrated with these restrictions, feeling fit and having performed well recently. His situation highlights the challenges of managing fast bowlers’ workloads across different levels of cricket.
In other team news, Cameron Green will continue his recovery from back surgery and is unlikely to play Shield cricket before his County Championship stint. Bancroft is set to become the 13th WA player to reach 100 Shield matches. Cooper Connolly might be available for WA’s next Shield match, while Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie are unlikely to return due to IPL commitments.
Usman Khawaja will return for Queensland against Tasmania, with Jack Clayton also returning from injury. Matthew Kuhnemann is in Tasmania’s squad, and Caleb Jewell returns to their side. Victoria has included 18-year-old Oliver Peake for his potential first-class debut. Nathan McAndrew has been withdrawn from South Australia’s squad for workload management, replaced by Henry Thornton.
South Australia can secure a home Shield final with a victory over Victoria.
Sheffield Shield Squads
Western Australia: Sam Whiteman (c), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie Stobo, Ashton Turner
New South Wales: Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards (c), Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Hanno Jacobs, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Lachlan Shaw
Victoria: Peter Handscomb (c), Scott Boland, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Mitch Perry
South Australia: Jordan Buckingham, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Connor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (c), Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton
Tasmania: Jordan Silk (c), Gabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Aidan O’Connor, Mitch Owen, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Queensland: Mitchell Swepson (c), Xavier Bartlett, Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Pierson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Callum Vidler, Jack Wildermuth
