Clarke's club side declares at 0-17

The ongoing saga that has become Michael Clarke’s recurring hamstring problems spilled on to the main arena today when the Australia captain became a central player in Sydney grade cricket despite not taking the field.

As he battles to prove his fitness for the first Commonwealth Bank Test against India starting on December 4, Clarke has been ruled out of taking part in this weekend’s club cricket action and the next round of Bupa Sheffield Shield matches that begin on Tuesday.

However, the injured skipper still has a couple of chances to show his damaged left hamstring – which he re-injured in the opening Carlton Mid ODI Series match against South Africa a week ago – is able to withstand the rigours of competitive cricket.

As Bupa Support Team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris confirmed on Thursday, it is hoped Clarke will resume running this week and return to the practice nets soon after.

That leaves only the possibility of him being a late addition to the CA XI squad for the second of two two-day warm-up matches for the touring Indians at Adelaide Oval next Friday, or he could conceivably turn out for his grade club Western Suburbs on the second of their two-day match against Parramatta that began today.

That game soon became the most talked grade match played in Australia this summer, as much for the Machiavellian sub-plot that it weaved as for the fact that it could potentially host the national captain’s public audition next Saturday for the season’s opening Test at the Gabba five days later.

Even though he was not available to take part in today’s opening half of the match at Old Kings Oval, directly behind Parramatta Park, Clarke was listed to bat at No.7 on the Western Suburbs team sheet that Jeff Cook handed to rival skipper Michael Castle at the coin toss.

Aware that the world’s 11th-ranked Test batsman would only be able to wield an influence for the bottom-placed Western Suburbs if he was able to play next Saturday, and that the Magpies would therefore be forced to bat one man short today, Castle duly sent them in to bat upon winning the toss.

In response, and signalling that their preference was to take to the crease next week when Clarke was hopefully available, Western Suburbs duly declared their first innings closed one ball shy of 10 completed overs with the score at 0-17.

Western Suburbs' first-innings scorecard from today's match, with Michael Clarke at No.7 and a declaration at 0-17. Click through to full MyCricket scorecard

While the Magpies, yet to post a win in the 2014-15 grade season, might be commended for notionally placing the nation’s cricket interests ahead of their own need to score some first innings points, the move did not sit well with Cricket New South Wales which was immediately concerned for the competition’s integrity.

CNSW Chief Executive Officer Andrew Jones while he "appreciates the thinking behind this gesture" to declare, an investigation would launched after the match was completed.

"We understand Wests may have taken this action (the declaration) to increase the probability of Australian Captain Michael Clarke batting in the second week of the game," said Jones.

"While Cricket NSW and the Sydney Cricket Association are conscious of the broader interests of Australian cricket and hence appreciate the thinking behind this gesture, we are also conscious of the need to maintain the integrity of the Sydney grade competition.

"Consequently we will investigate the full facts and evaluate Wests' actions at the conclusion of the round, with appropriate input from all key stakeholders."

Wests declaration also seemed to raise the ire of the home team which, understandably mindful of coming up against the nation’s best batsman in a battle for second innings points next Saturday, duly claimed the first innings win and then declared their innings closed at 2-140 after 23 overs.

If Parramatta’s plan was to scuttle the cellar dweller’s batting before stumps and thereby minimise Clarke’s involvement if he is available next weekend then it was only partly successful with the Magpies to resume at 1-230 – a lead of 107 on the second innings.

For a match between the 18th and 20th-placed teams in Sydney’s grade competition, it has the potential to attract interest from across the nation – and quite possibly beyond – if Clarke is able to take to the middle.

Whether or not the Australia skipper makes an on-field contribution for his club, the mere fact his name was etched on the team sheet has already triggered the most talked about pair of declarations since the turn of this century.

That was when newly appointed England captain Nasser Hussain and his South African rival, the late Hansie Cronje, both agreed to forfeit one of their teams’ innings without a ball being bowled in order to try and achieve an outright result in a rain-affected Test at Centurion.

That game became better known as the ‘Leather Jacket Test’ when it was revealed months later that self-confessed match fixer Cronje had been paid £5,000 and received the item of apparel for organising a result – a deal with bookmakers to which Hussain was oblivious.