Newcastle Sheffield Shield Match Looms As Test Audition

Newcastle Herald

Friday January 2, 2009

By JOSH LEESON

NEWCASTLE No.1 Sportsground could be where the next Australian opening batsman is chosen.

NSW host Tasmania in a Sheffield Shield match at the Cooks Hill venue starting on January 30.

The game is likely to be Phil Jaques's only chance to push for selection in the Australian squad for the tour of South Africa in February.

Jaques, 29, will likely open the batting with 19-year-old prodigy Phil Hughes against the Tasmanians.

If Matthew Hayden fails again against South Africa in the third Test starting on Saturday, the NSW pair could be competing to replace the Queenslander.

Yesterday Jaques was rated by Sportingbet Australia as the $2.25 favourite to replace Hayden. Hughes was next at $2.50.

Victorian Chris Rogers was third at $5.50, followed by Michael Hussey ($8.50), any other player ($9), Shaun Marsh ($11) and Michael Klinger ($13).

Jaques, who has played 11 Tests for an average of 47.47, last batted for Australia in the third Test against the West Indies in June at Bridgetown, Barbados, where he scored 108.

He underwent surgery on a bulging disc in his back in October and resumed NSW training on December 22.

Jaques is due to return for the Blues in a one-dayer against Victoria on January 17.

Australia's first tour match in South Africa is on February 20 against the Proteas' A side in Potchefstroom and NSW's Sheffield Shield match against Victoria ends on February 18.

This means it is likely Jaques will have only one four-day match in Newcastle to press for a Test recall.

However, it will not be easy for Jaques as Hughes is enjoying an amazing season.

In seven first-class matches, the Macksville lad has scored four hundreds and averaged 55.

The Newcastle match could also mark the return of injured Australian paceman Stuart Clark to the first-class arena.

Alex Brown reports: Australia have finally received some positive news on the injury front, with both Andrew Symonds and Stuart Clark expected to play again this summer after undergoing surgery.

Surgeons removed loose cartilage in Symonds's right knee on Wednesday, and the all-rounder could return for the latter stages of Australia's limited-overs series.

Clark, meanwhile, is hopeful of making his comeback from elbow surgery in a grade game for Sydney University on January 25.

He will then endeavour to play in NSW's Shield match against Tasmania in Newcastle the following week.

Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris yesterday described Symonds's condition as a "best-case scenario".

© 2009 Newcastle Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home