Uncontracted trio of Behrendorff, Agar and Tye also named, while Ellis and Meredith won’t play for Tasmania next week
Lance Morris is set for his first game since stress fractures • Getty Images
Injury-prone Cricket Australia contracted pace duo of Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are set for domestic white-ball returns. Both quicks have been named in Western Australia’s 14-man squad for their opening One-Day Cup matches against New South Wales and South Australia, on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, at Cricket Central in Sydney.
Morris has not played cricket at any level since suffering a side strain in February during what was his second ODI, with the injury ending his season. Routine scans during the off-season showed a hot spot in his back despite not feeling any pain. Morris was ruled out of playing in the Major League Cricket, and was also not considered for Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK.
He will begin a slow build back towards a red-ball return, and will likely only play one of the two 50-over matches next week, with WA naming six fast bowlers in their squad. That includes the uncontracted veteran duo Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye.
Richardson, meanwhile, did play over the winter after coming off a horror run of hamstring and shoulder injuries in recent seasons. He played one game in the IPL for Delhi Capitals, and then three matches for Perth Scorchers in the Top End T20 Series in Darwin in August.
Richardson’s return to domestic 50-over cricket is another step forward for him, but it remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to return to first-class cricket with the Sheffield Shield in October.
Uncontracted left-arm spinner Ashton Agar has also been named in WA’s squad, alongside Behrendorff and Tye after also opting to become a freelance cricketer.
Cameron Bancroft looks set to keep wicket for WA, with Josh Inglis away on national duty. Former WA back-up wicketkeeper-batter and 50-over opener Josh Philippe is set to face his old side on Sunday for the first time after moving to New South Wales. Philippe was a key part of WA’s hat-trick of One-Day Cup titles, having played in all three and been Player of the Tournament in 2022-23.
WA are looking to become the first men’s side in Australian One-Day domestic history to claim four consecutive titles, even as they have won five of the last seven.
Elsewhere, Nathan Ellis and Riley Meredith won’t play in Tasmania’s opening two One-Day Cup matches against Victoria and Queensland in Melbourne, on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
Ellis is still recovering from the hamstring injury that saw him ruled out of Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK, while Meredith only arrived back in Australia this week and is set for another scan on the side he injured in the opening match of the tour against Scotland. Ellis did not play in any of Australia’s next four T20I matches due to side soreness before returning home, and his recovery time is still to be determined.
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
