SYDNEY: Injured Australia captain Michael Clarke is back in the nets and could return to competitive action by the end of the month in a major boost to the hosts before the start of the Ashes series on November 21.
The 32-year-old batsman, who has suffered from a recurring lower back problem for several years, was left out of the ongoing one-day tour of India to rest up before the visit of England.
“Michael is progressing well and recently recommenced batting in the nets,” team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a Cricket Australia news release yesterday.
“At this stage we are aiming to have him fit to play the second round of the Sheffield Shield, but we have not ruled out the possibility of him playing the first round of the Shield season if he makes better than expected progress.”
Clarke’s New South Wales play Tasmania in the first round of the domestic Sheffield Shield competition from October 30 to November 2. Their second round fixture is against Victoria and commences on November 6.
England, who won the first Ashes encounter of the year 3-0 to retain the urn for a third successive series, are scheduled to arrive in Perth in the early hours today morning.
The first Test takes place at the Gabba in Brisbane before further matches in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
Meanwhile, Australia opener David Warner fell three runs short of the first double century in domestic one-day cricket yesterday, continuing a rich run of form which could earn him an international recall for the Ashes series next month.
Playing for New South Wales against Victoria in the semi-final of a provincial one day tournament at North Sydney Oval, the fiery 26-year-old hammered 197 off 144 balls before being caught on the boundary.
The knock, which included 20 fours and 10 sixes, was the highest one-day domestic individual score, beating the 187 Jimmy Maher scored for Queensland against Western Australia in 2004.
With three centuries in four matches in the competition, Warner has accumulated 527 runs at an average of 75 - a run of form that will not have been missed by selectors with the first Ashes test less than a month away.
Warner was left out of Australia’s limited overs squads for the ongoing tour of India.
Warner’s innings yesterday helped New South Wales to victory by four wickets and they will play Queensland in the final on Sunday. AGENCIES
