After a five-month layoff, Australian all-rounder Shane Watson will make his domestic one-day return with NSW on Friday.

The Blues play Queensland in an elimination preliminary final at the Blacktown International Sportspark.

The 33-year-old was named in the Blues 13-man squad on Thursday after taking time off with a calf injury.

He will replace batsman Scott Henry, while Penrith left-arm spinner Patrick Jackson will be retained after making his debut earlier in the week.

Once of the country’s most dangerous one-day cricketers, Watson has suffered a tumultuous season, forced out of the Australian team’s tours of the UAE and Zimbabwe after stepping on a ball at training.

He made a return to action for Sutherland in grade cricket at the weekend and comes into NSW team less than a week after their five-wicket defeat to the Tasmanian Tigers.

Despite the loss, the Blues enter the finals third on the ladder, six points behind the second-place Bulls.

NSW Blues Squad: Peter Nevill (Capt), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Patrick Cummins, Christopher Green, Josh Hazlewood, Patrick Jackson, Nicolas Maddinson, Kurtis Patterson, Benjamin Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Shane Watson.