Western Australia’s fast bowler Lance Morris is expected to play against New South Wales as WA aims to qualify for their fourth straight Sheffield Shield final. This decision involves careful management of his bowling workload.
Meanwhile, New South Wales’ Test spinner Nathan Lyon will miss the rest of the season to recover from a hip injury sustained during the tour of Sri Lanka. Matthew Kuhnemann, Lyon’s spin partner in Sri Lanka, will return for Tasmania after being cleared of throwing by the ICC. Usman Khawaja is also set to return for Queensland, while Oliver Peake is expected to debut for Victoria.
Morris has been included in WA’s 14-man squad along with Cameron Bancroft, who is returning from a shoulder injury to play his 100th Shield match against NSW at the WACA Ground.
Morris’s inclusion is notable because Cricket Australia manages his playing schedule. He has only played three Shield matches this season due to workload restrictions following a stress fracture and a quad strain. Initially, he was planned to rest for the NSW match but be available for the game against Victoria. However, this schedule might have made him unavailable for the final due to concerns from CA’s medical team about him playing consecutive Shield games, given his injury history and status as a potential international player known for consistently bowling over 150kph.
Morris is reportedly frustrated with these limitations, feeling fit after performing well in the second innings of the Gabba match. He previously expressed frustration about injury issues, stating that scans showed a stress issue that wasn’t causing pain. WA has also struggled to manage his overs while aiming for the Shield final. Morris hasn’t bowled more than 25 overs in a match since November 2023 and hasn’t played four consecutive Shield games since late 2022.
Morris’s situation highlights why Cricket Australia appointed Adam Griffith as the national pace bowling coach to standardize fast bowler management across all levels of cricket. CA has also appointed Nick Jones as a permanent case manager to oversee player rehabilitation, with a new team physio to be appointed for full-time travel with the national team.
Cameron Green is another player under Jones’ management as he recovers from back surgery, but he is unlikely to play Shield cricket before his County Championship stint.
Bancroft is set to become the 13th WA player to play 100 Shield matches. He will open the batting and can field in the slips, but his throwing will be limited initially after his shoulder injury.
Australia’s Champions Trophy exit makes Cooper Connolly potentially available for WA’s next Shield match. However, Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie are unlikely to return for the Shield season or final due to IPL contracts starting soon after the Shield season concludes.
Khawaja will return for Queensland against Tasmania after resting following the Sri Lanka tour. Jack Clayton also returns for Queensland. Kuhnemann is in Tasmania’s squad, along with Caleb Jewell, who returns to Shield cricket after being dropped earlier in the season.
Victoria has included 18-year-old Oliver Peake in their squad for the match against South Australia. Peake is in line for his first-class debut after touring Sri Lanka with Australia’s Test squad as a development player. Blake Macdonald, who also scored centuries in a recent second XI match, is also included. Peter Handscomb will captain Victoria as Will Sutherland rests.
Nathan McAndrew, the Shield’s leading wicket-taker, has been rested to manage his workload, with Henry Thornton replacing him after his recent strong performance in South Australia’s One-Day Cup victory.
South Australia can secure a home Shield final with a win over Victoria, with Adelaide Oval still a possible venue depending on AFL fixture schedules and pitch availability.
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
