NSW opener Phil Hughes will be desperate to forget his Bellerive Test match nightmare when he returns to the venue for Saturday’s one-day clash with Tasmania.
Hughes was dropped after making four and 20 in the embarrassing second Test loss to New Zealand in December, when a meticulous plan was put in place to help him regain form.
That meant him missing the Big Bash League and even playing club cricket in Sydney, where he made 147 for Western Suburbs two weeks ago.
A Bellerive green-top and the combination of Black Caps Chris Martin and Martin Guptill meant Hughes was dismissed nicking the paceman to his slip on all four occasions in the two-match series.
Tasmanian coach Tim Coyle says the experience could be on the left-hander’s mind, especially with the likelihood of another green-tinged pitch.
“He’ll come down here, he’ll see the wicket and the wicket at the moment is typically the wicket that we play on here,” Coyle told reporters.
“That might raise a few doubts in his mind.
“But at the end of the day, he’s a world class player so we’ll need to play very well against him and bowl well to him.”
The 22-year-old will come up against his replacement in the Test side, former NSW opener Ed Cowan, as he looks to build some form ahead of Australia’s tour to the West Indies.
Coyle said he was wary Hughes would have a point to prove.
“I’m sure he’s very determined to make a big statement,” Coyle said.
“We know what we have to do against him but he has been successful down here.
“He is a player that has scored some runs here pretty consistently so he’ll be one of the danger players in that game.”
Saturday’s match is a must-win for the Blues, who sit in fifth spot on the ladder after three wins and three losses.
Tasmania are second behind South Australia on net run rate and suffered a blow this week when back-up wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt was ruled out for the season after surgery on his thumb.
He joins Tim Paine on the sidelines, while uncontracted local product Brady Jones comes into the side.
Test paceman Ben Hilfenhaus is being rested while Australian Twenty20 captain George Bailey and all-rounder James Faulkner were due to fly back for the match after Friday night’s T20 clash with India at the MCG.
“As long as the planes are on time, we’re OK,” Coyle said.
“A Twenty20 game is probably not going to take too much out of them.”
Tasmania: George Bailey (capt), Jackson Bird, Luke Butterworth, Mark Cosgrove, Ed Cowan, James Faulkner, Matt Johnston, Brady Jones, Jason Krejza, Ben Laughlin, Ashton May, Jon Wells (12th man to be named).
NSW (from): Stephen O’Keefe (capt), Trent Copeland, Scott Coyte, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Phil Hughes, Simon Katich, Usman Khawaja, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Ben Rohrer, Steve Smith.
