Cummins back in action for Blues

New South Wales speedster Pat Cummins completed a six-over spell against Queensland on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday as he continues his gradual journey back to the big time.

Cummins, whose career to date has been inundated with injuries, has been carefully managed through his latest stint of rehabilitation and Blues assistant coach Geoff Lawson was pleased with his charge's latest showing in a competitive setting as he targets the Blues Matador Cup opener on October 7.

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"Well he's just completed a six-over spell in a match, so that's another step on the ladder for him," said former Test paceman Lawson of Cummins, who finished with 0-21 in the trial game.

"We'll spend some time analysing that from a technical point of view but the fact he's just got through a competitive spell is a tick."

Cummins had been expected to make his return to cricket with the ongoing Australia A winter series in north Queensland, but was pulled out of that tournament, with a more circumspect approach taken to his rehab ahead of the domestic season.

"Everyone wants to see him get through a summer, and that's why the build-up through this season has been really gradual," Lawson said.

"It's just taking the next step on the ladder and not getting ahead of ourselves.

"That's the plan heading into the early competitions of the season – not overdoing it in one-day cricket, two-day club cricket, four-day Second XI cricket. So you just make it gradual, you plan as best as you can, and then you cross your fingers."

Cummins turned heads when he was man of the match as an 18-year-old in his Test debut in South Africa in 2011, claiming seven wickets and impressing with speeds approaching 150kph and producing considerable swing.

Since, he's been restricted to eight first-class matches largely due to stress fractures in his back, but he's also appeared for Australia in 18 ODIs and 15 T20s.

Lawson was optimistic that a prolonged run with New South Wales would be beneficial for the 23-year-old.

"Pat's still a young man. He's got the guys at Cricket Australia looking after him, and he's in all the programs," he said.

"From a New South Wales point of view, we've had him now consistently for a fair while, which hasn't happened before really.

"And we'll have him now through pre-season, Matador Cup and into the Shield season – so there's a nice consistency to that.

"He's a terrific young guy. He's had a lot of setbacks in this brief career of his, but he's always in a great frame of mind.

"He's happy to listen to advice, take it on board, and he's just a nice guy to deal with."

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While the question remains as to just what heights a fully-fit and injury-free Cummins can soar to, Lawson for one is less concerned about extreme pace and focused instead on quality.

"Whether or not he'll bowl 150(kph), I'm not too sure," he added. "As long as he comes back a quality bowler.

"He'll bowl into the 140s and he'll have the quality and experience to go with it.

"So it's not just about the speed. It's about what he's learnt over the years and all the things it takes to be a good fast bowler, but I think the expectations and hopes are pretty high."