Teams ring changes for latest Shield round

Queensland v Victoria

Brisbane Heat opener Max Bryant is set to make his first-class debut for the Queensland Bulls next week against Victoria at the Gabba.

Bryant is coming off a string of strong batting efforts in the past month, including a ton for the Cricket Australia XI against the touring English Lions in a one-day game and a dashing 108 from 60 balls for Gold Coast Dolphins in the Queensland Premier Grade competition.

It is a new-look Queensland team, with recent Cricket Australia XI selection Lachy Pfeffer coming into the 12-man team for the first time this season.

Bulls players Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Mitch Swepson, Jack Wildermuth and Mark Steketee will be absent due to their selection for Australia A to take on the England Lions.

Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne is also missing from the team that defeated Tasmania by 10 wickets last week at the Gabba after leaving earlier this week to link up with the Australia ODI squad in South Africa, and batsman Matt Renshaw was unavailable for selection as he continues a period of rest and recuperation.

Pace bowlers Billy Stanlake, Xavier Bartlett, Brendan Doggett and Blake Edwards all come into the squad for the match.

The Bulls sit in second spot on the Shield ladder behind NSW, while Victoria's last start win over the Blues has lifted them off the bottom of the table. The Vics have lost batsmen Marcus Harris and Nick Maddinson to the Australia 'A' game.

Eamonn Vines and Jonathan Merlo have been brought into the travelling squad of 12 players, with St Kilda's Merlo a chance to make his first-class debut.

Will Pucovski remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from concussion. Sam Harper has returned to training and is in line to for selection in the upcoming Toyota Second XI fixture next week.

Queensland XII: Jimmy Peirson (c), Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Brendan Doggett, Blake Edwards, Cameron Gannon, Sam Heazlett, Nathan McSweeney, Lachy Pfeffer, Billy Stanlake, Bryce Street.

Victoria XII: Peter Handscomb (c), Scott Boland, Travis Dean, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Seb Gotch, Jonathan Merlo, Wil Parker, Matthew Short, Peter Siddle, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain, Eamonn Vines

New South Wales v South Australia

Batsmen Jack Edwards, Jason Sangha and Ryan Gibson have all been included in the 13-man NSW squad named for the clash with South Australia at Bankstown Oval, starting Monday.

The unavailability of Australia A pair Moises Henriques and Kurtis Patterson will force two changes to the side that lost to Victoria earlier in their most recent Shield outing, though Australia A 12th man Harry Conway is available for the Blues.

Australian Test off-spinner Nathan Lyon is again set to turn out for the Blues, who remain on top of the Shield ladder despite their first loss of the season against the Vics.

Edwards' selection follows a magnificent 192 (and two wickets) for the Cricket Australia XI against the England Lions in Hobart last week, while Sangha made 72 in the same match.

The Redbacks meanwhile have added leg-spinner Lloyd Pope to the squad that beat Western Australia by 109 runs last week.

Pope has been included in the side for Daniel Worrall, who is being managed after he made his return to Shield cricket against WA after almost 12 months out.

"Daniel is really pleased with how he's come back after the first game against WA, but after he bowled 43 overs particularly we're being very careful," said SA's General Manager, High Performance Tim Nielsen.

"His history has showed us that a quick comeback has led to re-injury, so we're taking things conservatively with regard to his re-introduction to Shield cricket."

Pope, 20, will offer South Australia a legitimate spin option on a Bankstown wicket expected to take some turn.

Alex Carey, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson remain unavailable for selection with the first T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg scheduled on Saturday night.

The Redbacks are fourth on the ladder after two consecutive wins, and seven points shy of second place.

New South Wales XIII: Peter Nevill (c), Trent Copeland, Harry Conway, Jack Edwards, Ryan Gibson, Matthew Gilkes, Liam Hatcher, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe, Jason Sangha, Daniel Solway

South Australia XII: Travis Head (c), Wes Agar, Will Bosisto, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Henry Hunt, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Chadd Sayers, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter

Tasmania v Western Australia

The breakout summer of Nathan Ellis looks set to continue with the speedster in line to make his first-class debut for Tasmania in their home match against Western Australia.

Having impressed with Tasmania and the Hobart Hurricanes in white-ball cricket this summer, Ellis is set to get his chance to prove his wares in first-class cricket with front-line quick Jackson Bird on Australia A duties.

Ellis comes into the squad having taken six wickets in a second XI match last week – where Tasmania's reserve batters were bowled out for 72 by South Australia in a worrying sign for the state's depth.

Tasmania are desperately seeking to rebound from last week's shellacking at the hands of Queensland when they were bundled out for just 78 in the first innings at the Gabba en route to a 10-wicket defeat.

Sam Rainbird joins Ellis as an inclusion for Tasmania with Tom Rogers dropping out of the squad.

Western Australia is yet to name their squad. Marcus Stoinis, who was withdrawn from the Australia A match after injuring his shoulder in the last Shield round, is available for the state as a batsman only, but it remains to be seen if he will be selected.

Western Australia meanwhile, will be without the injured Marcus Stoinis, while Josh Inglis is absent with Australia A duties.   

Coming into their 13-man squad are Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman, Aaron Hardie and Liam O'Connor.

"Marcus will be rested from this Shield match to recover from of shoulder and knee soreness," said the WACA's sports science sports medicine manager Nick Jones.

"He was ruled out of the Australian A team earlier this week after it was agreed that he will be rested from bowling until his shoulder injury settles."

Tasmania XIII: Tim Paine (c), Gabe Bell, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Ben McDermott, Simon Milenko, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Sam Rainbird, Jordan Silk, Charlie Wakim, Beau Webster, Macalister Wright.

Western Australia XIII: Shaun Marsh (c), Cameron Bancroft, Jake Carder, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Matt Kelly, Simon Mackin, David Moody, Liam O'Connor, Joel Paris, Josh Philippe, Ashton Turner,      Sam Whiteman