Shield previews: Tigers depleted for season opener

A Tasmania side which has had its pace stocks ravaged by departures and injury now faces the challenge of opening their Marsh Sheffield Shield campaign on the competition's flattest pitch of recent years.

Shorn of Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle and covering the absences of Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake, the Tigers will hope the new drop-in surfaces at Karen Rolton Oval (KRO) provide sufficient assistance to their depleted attack against South Australia from Tuesday.

Sheffield Shield, round one

South Australia v Tasmania, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide - October 3-6

NSW v Queensland, Cricket Central, Sydney - October 4-7

Western Australia v Victoria, WACA Ground, Perth - October 4-7

Two of their top three batters from their last match of the preceding season, Tim Ward and Jake Doran (split webbing), are also unavailable, while fast bowler Tom Rogers, who played for Australia A last month despite not holding a state contract, has also been out with injury.

Meredith exited Tasmania’s Marsh Cup fixture against NSW last Wednesday after just 1.5 overs with a side strain, while Ellis is recovering from a groin injury suffered in the final match of Australia’s tour of South Africa last month. Stanlake's return to top level cricket for the first time in more than two years is also being carefully managed.

It could have been even worse. The Tigers were fortunate a technicality meant key man Matthew Wade will serve the second game of a two-match suspension in Sunday's Marsh One-Day Cup clash with SA rather than in the Shield contest.

The spate of injuries has severely tested the depth of coach Jeff Vaughan's squad. Sam Rainbird, Lawrence Neil-Smith and Gabe Bell, a trio that played just three Shield matches between them last summer, will carry the fast-bowling workload for their season opener.

Tasmania squad: Jordan Silk (c), Gabe Bell, Paddy Dooley, Jarrod Freeman, Bradley Hope, Caleb Jewell, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitchell Owen, Samuel Rainbird, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Adelaide's KRO is the only Shield venue that has hosted at least two matches over the past four seasons where the average score for a batter is north of 40. A wicket has fallen there on average every 80 balls, making it the least bowler-friendly ground in the country.

As detailed by cricket.com.au however, the SACA is hopeful a move to a hybrid mix of drop-in and natural pitches will improve the competition between bat and ball at the venue.

Tigers recruit Jake Weatherald knows the ground well from his time in South Australia and will take on his former state in his first Shield match wearing the Tigers' green cap.

The Redbacks could unveil Jake Fraser-McGurk for his first four-day game for his new state after naming the 21-year-old batter who left Victoria over the winter in a 13-player squad that features a strong pace contingent.

South Australia squad: Jake Lehmann (c), Nathan McSweeney, Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Henry Hunt, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Harry Nielsen, Kelvin Smith

Elsewhere, Marcus Harris will miss his first chance of the summer to push his case to replace David Warner in the Test side after Victoria confirmed the opener will remain in Melbourne following the birth of his son last week instead of travelling to Perth to face Western Australia.

Victoria squad: Will Sutherland (c), Peter Handscomb, Scott Boland, Travis Dean, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Jon Merlo, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Mitch Perry, Will Pucovski, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle

As reported by cricket.com.au last week, Will Pucovski is back for the Shield final rematch at the WACA Ground.

Harris' absence could open the door for opener Tom Rogers (not to be confused with the Tasmania bowler by the same name) to make his first-class debut.

Siddle has also been named in Victoria's squad, though his first game back for his native state is no certainty with coach Chris Rogers emphasising the former Test quick's mentoring role will be more important than his playing duties this season.

"We want to see the next Peter Siddle, we want to see a bowler playing in a Boxing Day Test or a World Cup final and that's the mandate that's come in from the top down," Rogers told cricket.com.au last week.

"We know we've got some really talented players on our hands and it's exciting to give them those opportunities.

"For 'Sidds', he knows exactly what the role is, he could be a bit of a support player for us and that's OK. Already you see him in and around the place, and the value he gives is priceless really. He's going to help a lot of these young guys go even further in their careers."

NSW squad: Moises Henriques (c), Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hackney, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Chris Tremain

New South Wales have included Bird in their 12-player squad to face Queensland in the first Sheffield Shield match hosted at their new Cricket Central facility in Silverwater.

Kurtis Patterson returns after missing the final match of the previous season with young batters Ollie Davies and Ryan Hackney picked alongside recently reappointed full-time captain Moises Henriques.

Western Australia and Queensland are yet to name their squads, but the Bulls are expected to include both Mitch Swepson and Matthew Kuhnemann in their group to travel to Sydney.