Promising opener Daniel Hughes has been picked to make his first class debut for NSW in their vital Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at the SCG starting on Thursday.

The 24-year-old left hander has already played four Big Bash matches for the Sydney Sixers and one Ryobi Cup one-dayer this season.

But the North Sydney batsman will face his acid test in the final qualifying match of the Shield season, when he makes his four-day debut for the Blues.

Fast bowler Chris Tremain also returns to the squad, with he and Hughes replacing Brad Haddin (Test call-up) and Doug Bollinger (hamstring injury) in the Blues XI.

NSW can make the final of the Shield and even host it if they defeat the Redbacks.

Blues squad: Ben Rohrer (capt), Trent Copeland, David Dawson, Josh Hazlewood, Daniel Hughes, Scott Henry, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Gurinder Sandhu, Chris Tremain, Adam Zampa