This one as tough as it gets

Wade out and we’re taking on half the Australian line-up too

TASMANIA will head into today’s one-day clash against half of the Australian Test squad without its fearless leader, but Ben McDermott has declared the side won’t take a backward step.

The Tigers square off against a star-studded New South Wales outfit containing six Ashes heroes — Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood return for their first domestic matches of the summer — joining Mitch Starc, Steve Smith, David Warner and Nathan Lyon.

Meanwhile the visitors have lost their own Test star Matthew Wade, with the captain picking up a groin strain in the Sheffield Shield loss to the Blues last weekend.

However despite the daunting task at North Sydney Oval today, McDermott has full faith the Tigers have enough firepower of their own to cause a boilover.

“It is going to be another good learning experience for us but I certainly think we are up to the standard,” McDermott said. “We have some good players in our side and some matchwinning players, if they can put their right foot forward we believe we can win the game.”

Tasmania was undone by a masterclass of fast bowling from Starc in the shield clash, who finished with match figures of 10-60 to remind national selectors of his devastating best with the Test series against Pakistan a month away.

McDermott has no doubt the talented but sometimes erratic spearhead will feature heavily in the Test summer program.

“It wasn’t too fun to face, they got the ball to reverse swing pretty early and that was pretty challenging,” said McDermott, who will join the Australian Twenty20 squad following the match for the series against Sri Lanka.

“If that is what he keeps producing, 10 wickets in a game, I think he is not too far off playing for Australia again.”

The Tigers have made four changes from the opening block of one-day games, with Jackson Bird still unavailable following the birth of his son and Alex Doolan and Jarrod Freeman omitted.

All-rounders Tom Rogers and Simon Milenko come into the side alongside spinner Clive Rose and the in-form Mac Wright, who if named in the final XI will make his Tasmanian debut.

SQUADS — Tasmania: Jordan Silk (capt), George Bailey, Nathan Ellis, James Faulkner, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, Gurinder Sandhu, Beau Webster, Mac Wright.

NSW: Peter Nevill (capt), Sean Abbott, Patrick Cummins, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.