The Victorian Bushrangers have a big opportunity to move clear at the top of the Sheffield Shield standings when they host South Australia this week.
The Bushrangers are tied on 20 points with the Queensland Bulls at the top of the Shield heading into the four-day match, which starts on Friday.
Victoria batsman David Hussey believes the Bushrangers are primed for victory as they have yet to taste defeat in the four-day domestic competition this season.
"We're playing some good consistent cricket at the moment at the Victorian Bushrangers," Hussey said.
"So hopefully we can continue that and six points are up for grabs."
The Vics will enter the Sheffield Shield without in-form all-rounder Andrew McDonald, who is battling an injured hamstring.
McDonald, who has managed 165 runs in his two Sheffield Shield games, underwent surgery and faces an extended spell on the sidelines.
The Bushrangers, however, have included 23-year-old paceman Scott Boland in their 13-man squad following on from his career-best performance in the Ryobi One-Day Cup.
Boland claimed figures of 4-85 as the Vics successfully chased down New South Wales' mammoth 350-run total on Sunday.
As for the Redbacks, they face the same old problem of trying to carry their Ryobi Cup performances into the four-day format.
The Redbacks have won three of four games in the limited overs format but it is a different story in the Sheffield Shield with just one win in five.
South Australia's sole triumph in the four-day competition came against the Tasmanian Tigers on November 4.
Daniel Christian will not make the trip to Melbourne after he was handed a one-match suspension for damaging change rooms.
The all-rounder will train with the Emerging Redbacks squad and is available for grade cricket selection.
"While playing against the Tasmanian Tigers at Adelaide Oval, Daniel was given a verbal warning for damaging the change rooms after he was dismissed," said director of cricket Jamie Cox.
"This ill-disciplined behaviour post-dismissal occurred again in Hobart, where the Blundstone Arena change rooms were also damaged, and at that time Daniel was given a written warning and was fined his match fee.
"On both occasions he has apologised and paid for the cost of repairs.
"Disappointingly, despite these two prior warnings, a similar incident occurred after a dismissal in Perth for a third consecutive time."
First Posted 22 November, 2012 12:06PM AEST
