Ashes loom large as Shield resumes

Kurtis Patterson will have one eye on Australia's upcoming Ashes campaign – and the preceding A tour of the United Kingdom – when a host of Test players return to their states for the resumption of the JLT Sheffield Shield this weekend.

All bar one of Australia's incumbent Test batters are set to feature in the first Sheffield Shield round back after the KFC Big Bash, as contenders look to push their cases with and against the Dukes ball.

Tim Paine is among a handful of international players who will return to Shield ranks from Saturday, with the Test captain to take the gloves for Tasmania as the Matthew Wade-led Tigers take on South Australia at Adelaide Oval.

Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne are both back for Queensland as they face Victoria at Melbourne's Junction Oval, with last summer’s Shield final-winning skipper Jimmy Peirson to lead the Bulls in captain Usman Khawaja's absence.

Khawaja is the only member of the Test top seven that defeated Sri Lanka who won't feature in the Shield with the No.3 part of Australia's squad for their seven-match limited-overs tour of India.

Patterson, who stroked a maiden international century from number six in Canberra last month, is set to slot back into No.3 for NSW and says the final four Shield rounds present a golden opportunity for batters to keep their names front of mind for national selectors.

"It's crucial," said Patterson when asked how important Shield runs will be. "I think we're really lucky – and I can speak personally from my own Test experience – playing Shield has blooded me really well for those two Tests.

"We've got such a high standard of cricket, such a high standard of quality domestic cricketers … such hard, tough cricket breeds you well for the next level."

This season represents the third time the Shield has swapped the Kookaburra ball for the Dukes after Christmas.

Performances against the England-manufactured Dukes, which Patterson says swings for longer but typically doesn’t seam as much as the Kookaburra, will take on further meaning given how they've confounded Australian batsmen on previous Ashes tours.

Patterson insists he's firmly focused on NSW's tilt for a Shield final berth, which begins against Western Australia at Bankstown from Saturday, but an Ashes call-up would be a "dream come true".

"Playing against England in England is something I think every kid aspires to," said the left-hander.

"There's plenty of water to go under the bridge before but if the opportunity arises, it'd be a once-in-a-lifetime thing and I think I'd take it with both hands.

"Hopefully I get on that ‘A’ tour firstly, which is a good opportunity to score some runs. If I'm in that Ashes squad or team, that's wonderful.

"But right now it's about New South Wales and trying to what I can for NSW – as it is for all the Test players who have gone back to their states.

"The one-day boys can focus on the white ball for the next six months but it's a good opportunity for blokes like myself to really knuckle down and score some red-ball runs."

Jarrod Freeman and Tom Rogers have been named by Tasmania and could make their Shield returns in Adelaide, while Nathan McSweeney and Cameron Gannon are back in Queensland’s squad.

The other four states will name their squads in the coming days.

Tasmania squad to play SA: Matthew Wade (c), Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, Jarrod Freeman, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Tim Paine, Alex Pyecroft, Tom Rogers, Jordan Silk, Charlie Wakim

Queensland squad to play Victoria: James Peirson (c), Joe Burns, Luke Feldman, Cameron Gannon, Sam Heazlett, Charlie Hemphrey, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson