Batsmen Glen Batticciotto and Wade Townsend are in line to make their first class debuts in Perth next week after being named today in a 13-man XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls for the opening Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield match of the season.

The two left-handers have been included in the Bulls first class squad along with towering fast bowler Grant Sullivan who is set to make a first class cricket for the first time since March 2008 after an injury-disrupted summer last year.

Sullivan was twelfth man on five occasions last season but could not force his way into the starting line-up.

The 194cm quick is the equal leading wicket-taker in the XXXX GOLD First Grade premiership with 14 wickets at 12.7 including two five wicket hauls for Toombul.

Left-hander Nathan Reardon also comes into the Shield squad for just his second first class game after making his debut against Victoria in March 2008.

Batticciotto, 28, will join the likes of Chris Swan and Joe Dawes as older debutants for Queensland, with the former Australian Under-19 player blossoming in the past two seasons in the limited overs arena.

Townsend, who will make his Ford Ranger Cup debut on Sunday against the Warriors, has benefited from an impressive pre-season effort so far and will give the selectors another batting option when they finalise the starting side.

The Bulls have lost Australian one-day allrounder James Hopes and seamer Chris Swan for Sunday’s Ford Ranger Cup match, with Hopes hoping to be considered for the Shield match starting on Tuesday.

Bulls coach Trevor Barsby said it was appropriate that Hopes withdraw from the one-day game after returning to Brisbane yesterday in the wake of Australia’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign in South Africa.

“James is seeing the Centre of Excellence physio Kevin Sims today to see whether he is right to be considered for the four-day game,’’ Barsby said.

“After a long campaign and a long flight, he wasn’t feeling 100 percent about playing Sunday which would have come after another flight, so it’s best for everyone to be cautious, considering Hopesy has developed into such an important part of the Australian one-day set-up,” he said.

Swan has been ruled out with a groin complaint, which flared up this week.

Paceman Ben Cutting and leg-spinner Daniel Doran have been included in the Bulls 13-man squad for the opening one-day fixture of the summer with a final decision on the starting side left until Sunday morning.

The Bulls first class squad contains seven members of the side that drew with Victoria in the Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield Final in Melbourne last season.

Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield

XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls v Retravision Warrors, WACA, Tues-Fri.

Chris Simpson (c), Glen Batticciotto, Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Ben Cutting, Daniel Doran, Chris Hartley, James Hopes, Nick Kruger, Ben Laughlin, Nathan Reardon, Grant Sullivan, Wade Townsend (one to be omitted, 12th man to be named).

Ford Ranger Cup

XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls v Retravision Warriors, WACA, Sunday:

Chris Simpson (c), Glen Batticciotto, Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Ben Cutting, Daniel Doran, Chris Hartley, Ben Laughlin, Alister McDermott, Craig Philipson, Nathan Reardon, Nathan Rimmington, Wade Townsend. (one to be omitted, 12th man to be named).

Warriors’ Ford Ranger Cup squad
Marcus North (c) Adam Voges (vc), David Bandy, Brett Dorey, Theo Doropoulos, Michael Hogan, Brad Knowles, Shawn Marsh, Ashley Noffke, Drew Porter, Wes Robinson, Luke Ronchi and Marcus Stoinis. (One to be omitted, 12th man to be named).

STEPHEN GRAY
Media & PR Manager

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