Tigers set to pounce to second on ladder
TASMANIA has a golden opportunity to leapfrog Queensland into second on the Sheffield Shield ladder with another strong performance at the Gabba starting today.
Before the competition break, the third-placed Tigers were on a high after thumping ladder leader NSW at Blundstone Arena.
Tigers coach Adam Griffith has seven players from the Hobart Hurricanes squad in his team, as well as Beau Webster from semi-finalist Melbourne Renegades and Jackson Bird from Sydney Sixers.
It will be the non-BBL players that Griffith will look to against Queensland.
“Guys like Sam Rainbird, Jake Doran and Jackson Bird, who are fresh and ready, we’ll be looking for those guys to lead the charge,” Griffith said.
“Bird left the Sixers early to make sure he was ready to go and Jake Doran has been doing some good stuff with the red ball and we’re hoping he can perform well.”
Most of Griffith’s team have to make the adjustment from the frenetic T20 format.
“We’ve had to reset and make sure we are ready to go for the red ball stuff,” he said.
“We have worked really hard over the past couple of days to make sure we are ready for the next few games.”
Queensland is without Test batsman Usman Khawaja (thumb), and the Tigers do not have wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who is being rested for Australia’s tour of South Africa, and batsman Jordan Silk, who broke a collarbone while playing in the BBL.
“We are not 100 per cent sure when Silk will be able to come back,” Griffith said.
“The surgeon said everything went well and that it’s a five to six-week injury. It has been 2½ weeks and it’s all going really well, so we may get him back before the end of the season and that will depend on how he progresses through his rehab.”
After being mauled by the Tigers, NSW has vowed to play aggressively against WA, and the Redbacks host Victoria. Tigers squad: George Bailey (capt), Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Sam Rainbird, Tom Rogers, Matthew Wade, Beau Webster.