Hilfenhaus axed from Tigers Shield side

Former Test paceman Ben Hilfenhaus has been dropped from Tasmania's side for their Bupa Sheffield Shield match against the NSW Blues in Sydney, and faces the prospect of accepting a reduced role if he wishes to continue his first-class career with the Tigers.

The 31-year-old has been left out of the XI to take on the Blues in Bankstown, starting on Thursday, with left-arm spinner Clive Rose taking his place.

The Test veteran is out of contract at the end of the season and Tasmania coach Dan Marsh said the veteran would be asked to accept a changing role as the Tigers look to the future.

"He has a wealth of exper­ience and is still a quality, quality bowler and we just need him to hopefully be around in the next few years for us," Marsh told reporters in Hobart. 

"It is about having a conversation with Ben around his role changing and whether he is happy to play that role.

"Those discussions with Ben will be ongoing. We really want him around as he is a quality performer for Tasmania, but he also needs to understand he is getting a bit older and we have some good young bowlers coming through.

"He probably still thinks he should be getting the new ball every week and that’s fine, that is what he wants to do.

"I guess from our point of view we need to keep developing not only Hilf but also our other bowlers."

Conditions at Bankstown Oval are expected to favour the slower bowlers so the Tigers have brought in an extra spinner and included three frontline pacemen – Jackson Bird, Andrew Fekete and Sam Rainbird – as well as medium-pace allrounder Evan Gulbis.

Hilfenhaus has taken six wickets in three Shield matches at an average of 47.50 since the hiatus for the BBL while Bird has taken 12 and Fekete seven. Right-armer Fekete is the second-leading wicket-taker in Shield cricket this season with 29 from eight matches.

Hilfenhaus's record this season is similar to Rainbird's – 16 wickets at 30 compared to 15 wickets at 24 - but the Tigers have opted for the variation of left-armer Rainbird.

Rose, who has recovered from a broken finger, will play the lead spin role alongside rookie off-spinning allrounder Beau Webster.

The Blues, who need a win to keep their finals chances alive, will play two frontline spinners in Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe on a surface that is expected to take turn.

"The talk is that it's either really flat or it spins so hopefully it does a bit of both," Lyon told Big Sports Breakfast.

Hilfenhaus's axing comes a day after it was announced he had left Hobart Hurricanes to sign a three-year Big Bash League deal with Melbourne Stars.

Quick Single: Hilfenhaus, Bird find new BBL homes

The swing bowler played the most recent of his 27 Tests in December 2012, but he was in the Test frame as recently October when he was part of Australia's squad for the series against Pakistan in the UAE.

He is currently marooned on 99 Test wickets having played 27 Tests between his debut in South Africa in 2009 and the first Test against Sri Lanka in the summer of 2012-13.

TASMANIA SQUAD
Alex Doolan (c), Jackson Bird, Ed Cowan, Andrew Fekete, Evan Gulbis, Dominic Michael, Tim Paine, Sam Rainbird, Clive Rose, Jordan Silk, Beau Webster