Big guns named for Redbacks, Vics Shield opener

Will Pucovski is set to play his third consecutive Sheffield Shield match for the first time in almost three years as South Australia and Victoria's high-powered batting units prepare to go head-to-head in their red-ball season opener.

Former Test openers Pucovski and Marcus Harris will on Thursday resume a dominant opening partnership that averaged 252 runs two seasons ago, while Nic Maddinson has been named for his first match of the Australian summer after returning from his county stint with Durham.

Pucovski played both the penultimate match of last season and the final, both against WA, but due to his battles with a shoulder injury and concussion, the last time the 24-year-old made three first-class appearances in a row for Victoria was in October 2019.

The right-hander enters the Shield season in excellent form with a marathon 193 retired across nine hours in a second XI fixture last month backed up by his 64 in the Marsh One-Day Cup season opener against NSW 11 days ago.

Last season's Marsh Sheffield Shield joint player-of-the-tournament, Travis Dean, is firming to hold his spot in the Victorian side even with the resumption of the Harris-Pucovski opening partnership and could fill the No.3 spot as the Vics look to strengthen their batting with the departure of James Pattinson.

Scott Boland will lead the Victorian bowling attack, but selectors are yet to settle on the side's No.1 tweaker with both veteran left-armer Jon Holland and young off-spinner Todd Murphy named in the 13-player travelling party.

Victoria head coach Chris Rogers told cricket.com.au on the eve of the domestic season they hadn't decided which spinner would be preferred, or if they could fit them both in the team.

"We know we've got excellent spin bowling options and it is one of our strengths," Rogers said.

"That's a real positive for us and clearly both players are in the eye of (national) selectors, so we've got to find ways to support them both and competition is good for both of them."

Australia No.5 Travis Head and wicketkeeper Alex Carey with both play the first month of the season for the Redbacks in the lead up to the five-Test summer against the West Indies and South Africa, but Nathan McAndrew has been ruled out of the clash with Victoria with quad tightness.

He joins teammates Brendon Doggett (hip) and Thomas Kelly (shin) who have also been sidelined for the start of the summer through injury.

McAndrew also missed South Australia's second Marsh Cup match against Tasmania last Wednesday and Redbacks' senior physiotherapist Sam Offord said they were taking a conservative approach with 29-year-old quick early in the season.

"He'll miss this first Shield game with the aim to be back for the second," Offord said.

Despite the absence of McAndrew, SA head coach Jason Gillespie was delighted with the Redbacks fast bowling depth ahead of the season.

South Australia added experienced right-armer Harry Conway from NSW during the off-season, who is in-line to play his first Shield match for his new state alongside off-spinner Ben Manenti on Thursday, while they also poached Henry Thornton from Victoria.

"I don't remember in my time as a player or coach having more depth in seam bowling than we do right now, which is exciting," he said.

"Ultimately, you don't win trophies with three or four bowlers.

"You need a squad mentality, that's something we've been speaking about a lot."

Seam bowling allrounder Fergus O'Neill has also been named in the Victorian squad and is in-line for a first-class debut if selected in the XI on Thursday.

South Australia squad: Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Jake Carder, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, David Grant, Travis Head (c), Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McSweeney, Jake Weatherald

Victoria squad: Peter Handscomb (c), Scott Boland, Travis Dean, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, Nic Maddinson, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Mitch Perry, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Will Sutherland

Watch SA v Victoria live and free on cricket.com.au's match centre and the CA Live app.