Five Aus A stars to watch

After an exciting two weeks of one-day cricket in Darwin, the Australia A tour makes a return to Queensland and red-ball cricket as the hosts get set to take on South Africa A at Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, beginning tomorrow (Thursday).

Players such as Mitch Marsh, Kane Richardson and Ben Cutting have already been rewarded with national selection following stand-out performances in the earlier stages of the winter ‘A’ tour in the nation’s north.

Quick Single: Australia A v South Africa A fans’ guide

With a Test tour against the UAE and a home series against India fast approaching, the Aussie players will be out to impress when the first of two four-day matches gets underway on Thursday.

All the action will be streamed live on cricket.com.au, and here are the five players you should be keeping a close eye on during the next fortnight.

Phil Hughes

South Africa A probably weren’t expecting to be seeing Phil Hughes again on this tour following his incredible 202no against them in the quadrangular series last week.

As it turns out, Hughes was a shock omission from Australia’s one-day squad and the left-handed opener will be back in action for the ‘A’ squad in Townsville.

It will be interesting to see how Hughes responds after being overlooked for the 14-man squad, with National Selector Rod Marsh also in attendance for the final two weeks of the tour.

Despite plundering a double-century and two fifties in the 50-over format to go with his unbeaten century in the second four-day match against India A, Hughes has insisted throughout the tour that he is unconcerned about the actions of the selectors.

“I couldn’t even tell you when the next Test tour is,” he told cricket.com.au after his hundred in Brisbane.

“All my focus is definitely on the next four to five weeks playing for Australia A and that’s all it will be in the short period. 

"After that, everything takes care of itself.”

Steve O’Keefe

Steve O’Keefe finished last summer’s Bupa Sheffield Shield season as the leading wicket-taker in the competition to help NSW Blues to Shield glory in March.

With big-turning wickets expected for Australia’s tour of the UAE in October, there is a possibility that the National Selection Panel will opt for another spinner to accompany Nathan Lyon for the two-Test series.

While O’Keefe is likely to carry a bulk of the spin burden in Townsville, Queensland leg-spinner Cameron Boyce will remain with the ‘A’ squad in Townsville after appearances in both Brisbane and Darwin.

With Boyce unable to leave his mark on the tour so far, O’Keefe is expected to be given every opportunity in the next two weeks to showcase the talent that has seen him snare 126 first-class wickets at an average of 24.52.

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Matthew Wade

It was less than 18 months ago that Matthew Wade was considered Australia’s first-choice keeper across all three formats.

Since then, Brad Haddin has produced back-to-back record-breaking Ashes campaigns behind the stumps and then with the bat, secured a spot in the side for the ICC World Twenty20 and outlined his desire to earn selection in the World Cup squad.

Wade now finds himself selected in the ‘A’ squad as a specialist batsman after a last-minute call-up alongside Michael Neser to replace Cutting and James Faulkner.

With young gun Sam Whiteman making the most of his opportunity against India A in Brisbane, the pressure now rests with Wade and current Australia A gloveman Peter Nevill to put their case forward as the next-in-line behind Haddin.

With the new NSP now in operation, the 26-year-old Wade will be out to impress with the willow, possibly at the top of the order, when the action gets underway on Thursday.

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Callum Ferguson

Regularly overlooked for national selection and considered by some to be one of the most underrated batsmen in the country, Callum Ferguson enters the Townsville leg of the winter series with a point to prove.

After a quadrangular series where he produced a number of starts without a knock of real substance, the 29-year-old will be hoping to rediscover the form he showed in last summer’s Bupa Sheffield Shield.

The West End Redbacks veteran has been around long enough to know the only way to achieve his Baggy Green dream is through sheer weight of runs.

“Having not tasted Test cricket, that’s something I’m extremely hungry for so I’m hoping to get an opportunity to make a big score or two and contribute to a couple of wins (in Townsville),” Ferguson told media ahead of the four-day matches.

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Jason Behrendorff

Arguably the best left-arm quick in the country not named Mitchell, Jason Behrendorff produced an outstanding Shield season last summer to announce his arrival as a legitimate pace prospect for Australia.

With the ability to move it through the air and off the deck at a reasonable pace, the 24-year-old now has to be included with the likes of James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood when discussing the nation’s fast-bowling brigade of the future.

Behrendorff is likely to act as the spearhead of the attack in Townsville, with his ability with the new ball set to go a long way to determining just how much impact the South Africa A batsmen will have in the next two weeks.

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For all your news, scores and video throughout the Australia A Tour, stay right here on cricket.com.au