Western Australia batsman Cam Bancroft and Jayden Goodwin are set to take their places against New South Wales for the second game of the Sheffield Shield season after recovering from bouts of illness.
As WA pulled off a stirring win over Queensland in the opening round of the red-ball competition, the flu was sweeping through their squad.
Goodwin was withdrawn on the eve of the contest and replaced by debutant Tom Murray, who was himself rendered bedridden ahead of the game’s second day and was substituted out for Sam Whiteman.
Bancroft was able to see out an enthralling two-wicket victory over the Bulls, making scores of 16 and nine, but missed an ensuing One-Day Cup loss on Tuesday after coming down ill.
Both he and Goodwin have recovered and been named in an expanded 14-player squad for their clash with the Blues, which begins on Monday at the WACA Ground.
Bancroft is set to continue his unexpected reunion at the top of the order with Whiteman. Only days after returning from a summer in England, the former shield captain was injected into WA’s season opener after both Goodwin and Murray went down and compiled a classy 40 in the second innings.
Opener Sam Fanning is the only omission after suffering a hamstring injury against Queensland, which he defied on the fourth day to help bat his side to victory.
Corey Wasley has also earned a call-up into the squad. The uncapped 21-year-old — who is into his third season on the State’s rookie list — was the only batsman in the squad to play in WA Premier Cricket on Saturday, making 60 for Rockingham-Mandurah.
With captain Aaron Hardie still working his way back to full fitness from a knee issue which has limited his all-round capabilities, WA may again opt to select a line-up featuring five specialist bowlers, as they did against the Bulls.
Meanwhile, former WA seamer Bryce Jackson may need to wait until Saturday’s One-Day Cup clash between the teams for his first meeting with his former side.
Despite his stand-out white-ball record, the fast bowler was delisted at the end of last season as WA accomodated the returns of Richardson and Lance Morris to their books after the star pair lost their Cricket Australia contracts.
After crossing to the Blues, he made his shield debut for his second State in their draw with Tasmania earlier this month and claimed three impressive first-innings wickets, but has dropped out of their squad for this week’s game.
WA Sheffield Shield squad for game against New South Wales: Aaron Hardie (captain), Cam Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Joel Curtis, Kieran Elliott, Albert Esterhuysen, Jayden Goodwin, Liam Haskett, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Corey Wasley, Sam Whiteman.
