WA set for pace injection in home Shield final

Michael Ramsey | March 23, 2023

Tearaway quick Lance Morris is “raring to go” and looms as a potential game-breaker for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield final.

Morris is one of three confirmed inclusions for WA in the five-day decider against Victoria beginning on Thursday at the WACA Ground.

Fellow quicks Joel Paris and Matt Kelly will also return after being rested for their final-round match, which WA lost to Victoria at the same venue.

Summoned for a debut international Test tour of India, Morris couldn’t break his way into the team in the spin-friendly conditions.

Having faced him in the nets during the subcontinent tour, Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb said he expected a fiery showing from the man nicknamed “Wild Thing” in the rematch of last year’s Shield final.

“I assume Lance is going to bowl pretty fast,” he said.

“I faced him a little bit in India over the last six weeks while he was getting ready and prepping for either playing a Test or coming back and playing in the Shield.

“He’s doing really well and he’s gone from strength to strength this year. It’s been impressive to watch.”

With WA chasing an unprecedented “six-peat” of consecutive Shield, one-day cup and Big Bash titles, captain Sam Whiteman said it would be a relief in more ways than one to unleash Morris on an opposing batting order.

“He had a centre wicket last week and I had the joy of facing him in the nets yesterday,” Whiteman said with a grin.

“I got through unscathed which is nice, but he’s bowling fast. I think after a month of bowling in the nets, he’s raring to go.”

All five Shield matches played at the WACA this season have produced a result, and last week’s clash ended in three-and-a-half days despite rain delays.

Both skippers however expected the pitch to be more conducive to batting for the decider, in keeping with last year’s drawn final at the venue.

Among Australia’s best with the bat in India, Handscomb admitted a return to domestic conditions would take some adjusting.

“Just changing from going to low, slow wickets where the ball gets about knee-high to a wicket where a good length ball can still go over the stumps,” he said.

“It’s more mental than anything else, trying to understand the wicket and the game and what that means for my game.

“I’ve had a fair bit of work over the last two days to get back into that mould of Australian cricket again… hopefully I’m ready to go.”

Handscomb declined to unveil an XI but Whiteman noted it would be “brave” for Victoria to leave out Test offspinner Todd Murphy after an excellent debut tour of India.