Victoria are down a captain and a wicketkeeper for the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia after Matthew Wade was unsuccessful in his appeal against a suspension for ball tampering.
Wade failed in his appeal on Thursday against pitch-tampering from Victoria’s 129-run win over Tasmania at Bellerive meaning he will be unable to play in Friday’s WACA clash.
Despite the loss of Wade and having lost opening batsman Chris Rogers to the Australian Test side, it still is a strong and in-form Victorian side that will take on the Warriors with David Hussey returning after being dropped last week with Aaron Finch also back.
Former South Australian pace bowler Jake Haberfield will make his Shield debut for Victoria after impressive club cricket form in Melbourne.
Coming off a disastrous Twenty20 Champions League tournament for the Perth Scorchers and then a miserable one-day cup competition last month in Sydney, the Warriors have not set the world on fire in the four-day competition so far either.
Largely only because of gritty fighting knocks from former Test batsman Marcus North, WA avoided defeats to Victoria in Melbourne and South Australia in Adelaide while losing thanks to a poor final day batting display in the opening home clash against the Redbacks at the WACA.
The WA team is strengthened for the clash with the Bushrangers, though, with quick bowlers Michael Hogan and Jason Behrendorff returning after being rested from the clash in Adelaide.
Captain Adam Voges returns after missing the game at the Adelaide Oval with an injured back with Michael Beer, Nathan Rimmington and Will Bosisto out.
North has been the shining light so far this year for WA since moving up to the opening slot scoring 444 runs in six Shield innings including two centuries and an unbeaten 84 last week against South Australia that secured a draw.
WA: Adam Voges (capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ryan Duffield, Michael Hogan, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Marcus North, John Rogers, Sam Whiteman (12th man to be named)
Victoria: Fawad Ahmed, Daniel Christian, Aaron Finch, Jake Haberfield, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Jon Holland, David Hussey, Clint McKay, Glenn Maxwell, Rob Quiney, Cameron White (12th man to be named)
