Pura Cup Final - New South Wales vs Victoria at SCG
The last game of the Australian domestic cricket season begins tomorrow morning in Sydney with New South Wales hosting Victoria.
New South Wales go into the game almost at full strength, with their Australian players available for selection while Victoria go into the game with no real regular Australian representatives.
The Blues will be hot favourites, their team boasts seven current Australian players and you feel that their firepower with the bat and the ball will be far too strong for Victoria, who are in their third final for the season after having won the Twenty20 title but losing the Ford Ranger competition to Tasmania.
This game may also go a long way to deciding the final few spots for Australia's tour to the West Indies. The favourite for the spinner's spot, Stuart MacGill, is playing in this match but contender Bryce McGain will also get a chance to stake his claim. Beau Casson, whose name has also been mentioned as a potential spin candiate is in the NSW squad but whether he plays will be another story. Mark Cameron is another whose name has been thrown into the ring for Australian contention and then there's Simon Katich who has been in brilliant form this season with the bat, perhaps he could make a comeback to the Australian side? Not only is there state supremacy but some players may also be playing for higher honours so this match becomes even more important for them.
This is also the last season that teams will compete for the Pura Cup, with Pura (who are a milk company) withdrawing their sponsorship at the end of the 2007-08 season. It is expected that the competition will revert back to its traditional title, which was the "Sheffield Shield" (and is way better).
Should be a good game regardless, NSW will go in as raging favourites but Victoria go in with really nothing to lose and if they manage to win, it will no doubt be an awesome party.
New South Wales (from): Nathan Bracken, Mark Cameron, Beau Casson, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, +Brad Haddin, Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, *Simon Katich, Grant Lambert, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, Dominic Thornely (2 to be omitted)
Victoria (from): +Adam Crosthwaite, Shane Harwood, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Nick Jewell, Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Clint McKay, Lloyd Mash, Dirk Nannes, Rob Quiney, Peter Siddle, *Cameron White (2 to be omitted)
Umpires: Bob Parry and Rod Tucker
3rd Umpire: Bruce Oxenford
Weather:
(All Temperatures in Degrees Celcius)
Saturday: Mostly Sunny, 26.
Sunday: Fine, Partly Cloudy, 25.
Monday: Fine, Partly Cloudy, 26.
Tuesday: Fine, 27.
Wednesday: Fine, 27.
Ljp's tip: NSW to win by 177 runs.
Game starts at 8:30am AWDT (10:30am local time, 11:30pm Friday March 14 GMT).
The last game of the Australian domestic cricket season begins tomorrow morning in Sydney with New South Wales hosting Victoria.
New South Wales go into the game almost at full strength, with their Australian players available for selection while Victoria go into the game with no real regular Australian representatives.
The Blues will be hot favourites, their team boasts seven current Australian players and you feel that their firepower with the bat and the ball will be far too strong for Victoria, who are in their third final for the season after having won the Twenty20 title but losing the Ford Ranger competition to Tasmania.
This game may also go a long way to deciding the final few spots for Australia's tour to the West Indies. The favourite for the spinner's spot, Stuart MacGill, is playing in this match but contender Bryce McGain will also get a chance to stake his claim. Beau Casson, whose name has also been mentioned as a potential spin candiate is in the NSW squad but whether he plays will be another story. Mark Cameron is another whose name has been thrown into the ring for Australian contention and then there's Simon Katich who has been in brilliant form this season with the bat, perhaps he could make a comeback to the Australian side? Not only is there state supremacy but some players may also be playing for higher honours so this match becomes even more important for them.
This is also the last season that teams will compete for the Pura Cup, with Pura (who are a milk company) withdrawing their sponsorship at the end of the 2007-08 season. It is expected that the competition will revert back to its traditional title, which was the "Sheffield Shield" (and is way better).
Should be a good game regardless, NSW will go in as raging favourites but Victoria go in with really nothing to lose and if they manage to win, it will no doubt be an awesome party.
New South Wales (from): Nathan Bracken, Mark Cameron, Beau Casson, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, +Brad Haddin, Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, *Simon Katich, Grant Lambert, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, Dominic Thornely (2 to be omitted)
Victoria (from): +Adam Crosthwaite, Shane Harwood, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Nick Jewell, Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Clint McKay, Lloyd Mash, Dirk Nannes, Rob Quiney, Peter Siddle, *Cameron White (2 to be omitted)
Umpires: Bob Parry and Rod Tucker
3rd Umpire: Bruce Oxenford
Weather:
(All Temperatures in Degrees Celcius)
Saturday: Mostly Sunny, 26.
Sunday: Fine, Partly Cloudy, 25.
Monday: Fine, Partly Cloudy, 26.
Tuesday: Fine, 27.
Wednesday: Fine, 27.
Ljp's tip: NSW to win by 177 runs.
Game starts at 8:30am AWDT (10:30am local time, 11:30pm Friday March 14 GMT).