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Henriques targets bowling return in Bangladesh bid

NSW Blues allrounder will have a fresh chance to press his case for a spot in the Test squad touring party with the penultimate round of Shield cricket

NSW Blues allrounder Moises Henriques will return to bowling in this week's Marsh Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania, with one eye on a push for a return to the Test set-up for the mid-year tour of Bangladesh.

Henriques returns to the NSW line-up this week after captaining Australia A in a day-night game against the England Lions at the MCG, where he was among a number of Test hopefuls to let slip an opportunity to push for a spot in the Test squad.

With National Selector Trevor Hohns watching on and pondering options for a batting allrounder in the touring Test squad, Henriques was unable to bowl with a bulging disc in his back, and managed scores of 25 and 4.

But that disc issue is not expected to hamper him in Hobart this week, as the Blues also welcome back Kurtis Patterson from the 'A' game while Sean Abbott returns from duty with Australia's T20 squad in South Africa.

"It (the Bangladesh tour) is still a long way away. I had an opportunity here (at the MCG) to play as well as I possibly could and further enhance my case," Henriques told cricket.com.au after the 'A' game.

"I didn't exactly grab it, but I've got the two Shield games and hopefully a Shield final to play as good cricket as I can, to bowl as much as I can and score as many runs as I can.

"And hopefully win a Shield comp and see what happens after that.

"(But) it's not like it's a spot with my name on it. There's five other blokes that all bat and bowl, probably more."

Australia played Hilton Cartwright in the second Test of their last visit to Bangladesh 2017, when Pat Cummins was the sole front-line quick, supported by Cartwright's medium pace seam, spinners Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe and Ashton Agar, as well as spin-bowling allrounder Glenn Maxwell.

Cartwright bowled only five overs in the Test, while Cummins added 33, as Australia sent down 146.4 overs of spin in the Test match.

But first and foremost for the 33-year-old allrounder will be securing a home final with a win in Hobart. NSW hold a 15.88-point lead over second-placed Queensland going into the penultimate Shield round, with the Bulls facing a tough trip west to face WA.

Reigning champions Victoria could leapfrog Queensland into second place with a round to go if they can secure a third straight outright win following the BBL break when they face South Australia in Adelaide.

In a tightly fought Shield race, all teams remain in the hunt for a spot in the final and even bottom-placed Tasmania could yet force their way in with two outright wins and other results going their way.

The Tigers welcome back Jackson Bird who has overcome a foot infection picked up following the Australia A game to take his place in the side, but Riley Meredith has been left out after

NSW squad: Peter Nevill (c), Sean Abbott, Trent Copeland, Harry Conway, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, Daniel Solway.

Tasmania squad: Tim Paine (c), Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Ben McDermott, Simon Milenko, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Sam Rainbird, Jordan Silk, Charlie Wakim, Beau Webster, Macalister Wright.