Ashes hopefuls to turn out for Premier clubs

Keep a close eye out at your local cricket grounds on Saturday as an Ashes hopeful might well be heading to a suburban oval near you.

Test representatives Glenn Maxwell, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Wade, George Bailey and Jackson Bird are all set to turn out for their Premier Cricket teams in matches around Australia.

It's a rare chance for some of the top players in the country to turn out at the highest level of club cricket.

In Hobart, 26 of the 28 Tigers contracted players are set to play Premier Cricket with Australia gloveman Wade set to return to his junior club Clarence for the first time in a decade as they take on New Town at Kangaroo Bay Oval.

Wade, who returned home to the Apple Isle over the winter, first played for Clarence's first XI as a 14-year-old in the 2002-03 season.

Bird will turn out for Kingborough against Lindisfarne, Bailey will play for South Hobart-Sandy Bay against Glenorchy while Tim Paine and James Faulkner will take on North Hobart for their side University.

Seven members of Victoria's JLT One-Day Cup squad (Maxwell, Fawad Ahmed, Seb Gotch, Matt Short, Wes Agar, Travis Dean and Marcus Harris) will turn out for their club sides in 50-over games around Melbourne.

Incumbent Test No.6 Maxwell will venture to the city's western suburbs as his Fitzroy-Doncaster take on Footscray at Merv Hughes Oval, with the explosive right-hander searching for form to cement his Magellan Ashes spot.

In Brisbane, Valley District Cricket Club will welcome back four Queensland players including likely Test No.3 Khawaja for the second day of their two-day match against Northern Suburbs, who will resume at 9-247.

Khawaja has already struck 254 runs in three hits for Valley this season and may take on a recent Australia teammate in Joe Burns if Northern Suburbs are in need of his part-time off-spin.

Toombul will welcome back Test opener Matthew Renshaw though they've already been dismissed for 266 in their first innings going into day two of their game against Sunshine Coast.

Most members of NSW's JLT Cup squad (excluding Australia-contracted players like Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc) are set to turn out for their Premier clubs, with the likes of Peter Nevill, Moises Henriques and Nic Maddinson all expected to feature.

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21