Tasmania will be without injury-plagued all-rounder James Faulkner for its Sheffield Shield encounter against South Australia, starting on Thursday.
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The Launceston cricketer, 27, who has been hampered by a persistent knee injury of late was struck in the ribs during training at Bellerive Oval on Monday and will be replaced in the squad by Simon Milenko.
The Tigers are coming off a draw with Victoria in what was Faulkner’s only four-day match this season, and flew out to the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday with paceman Tom Rogers confident a victory was around the corner.
“We were all a little bit disappointed after day one (all out for 172 at the MCG) so it was good to see us turn it around,” Rogers, 23, said.
“The boys took a lot of confidence from that game and hopefully we can apply some of that on a more consistent basis across the four days. The bowlers are doing a great job of bowling in partnerships.”
Tasmania is last on the table with two losses and a draw, while the Redbacks have placed third with a victory, one loss and a draw. Rogers said he has enjoyed his first two career Shield matches in which he has claimed six wickets at 17.50 and compiled 46 runs at 15.33.
“It’s pretty tough, bloody oath, but it’s pretty enjoyable [as] I get to do it for a job so it’s awesome,” he said.
“Consistency is the key for me from both a batting and bowling perspective, I’ve taken a few lessons with plenty of old heads in the side to learn off.”
Rogers said patience was the key to playing South Australia with the likes of Jake Weatherald, Callum Ferguson and Jake Lehmann in form with the bat, and Chadd Sayers and Joe Mennie dangerous with the ball.
Milenko claimed 5-34 for Cricket Australia XI in a tour match against England at the Adelaide Oval earlier this month and will play the first two days of Tasmania’s Futures League match against Victoria along with Beau Webster before joining the squad. Hamish Kingston and Nathan Freitag will replace the pair in Melbourne for days three and four.
ROAR POWER
Meg Phillips has been drafted into the Tasmanian Roar squad in favour of Emily Divin for its two upcoming WNCL matches against Victoria at the MCG on Saturday and Queensland at Jubilee Park in Melbourne on Monday.
SUPER SQUAD
Brooke Hepburn (c), Corinne Hall, Stefanie Daffara, Erin Fazackerley, Katelyn Fryett, Isobel Joyce, Meg Phillips, Veronica Pyke, Celeste Raack, Georgia Redmayne, Emma Thompson, Courtney Webb, Laura Wright.
Corey Martin
Having started at The Examiner as a cadet in 2009, I have held various positions telling the stories of Northern Tasmanians in sport and news. I was appointed deputy editor in 2019 and became editor in September 2021.
Having started at The Examiner as a cadet in 2009, I have held various positions telling the stories of Northern Tasmanians in sport and news. I was appointed deputy editor in 2019 and became editor in September 2021.
