No let-up as Vics mull Shield changes

Seamer Peter Siddle has vowed there will be no letting the foot off the pedal as Victoria gears up for the final game of the JLT Sheffield Shield season knowing they are safely through to next week's final.

The Vics travel to Adelaide where they will play South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval from Wednesday. They are set to make at least one change to the playing XI after veteran batsman Cameron White was axed from the squad.

"That's disappointing, he's been a great servant and he's been playing some good cricket for us this season," Siddle to the RSN's Breakfast Club today.

"I don't think it has anything to do with the final, we've been able to manage the group over the past few weeks and I'm sure this is just another process of it and his name will definitely be right up there for selection comes that final."

White's dropping from the Shield squad came just days after the Melbourne Renegades all but confirmed he won't be at the club next season following their coup signing of Shaun Marsh from Perth.

"At this stage, he probably won't be in the mix for us for a playing contract," Renegades CEO Stuart Coventry told RSN.

White's contract at Victoria also expires at the end of this current season, with a call on his future at the Vics expected later this year.

But for the 12 named to travel to Adelaide, focus is firmly on the final where Victoria's strength in bowling depth is expected to lead to more changes.

"You want to be playing good cricket and having good momentum going into that final," Siddle said.

"We've been fortunate over the past couple of weeks; I had a rest two games ago, Chris Tremain had a rest last game, so having that depth has been good for us being able to rest a few players leading in.

"This week it will be a pretty strong side put out and we've got to go out there and perform our skills.

"You don't want to be going into a final putting in a bad performance the game before. We'll just approach this as we normally would and hopefully get a good result."

Key for Victoria – and potentially, Australia – was the return of James Pattinson last round against NSW where the fast bowler claimed 5-25 off 12 overs in the second innings to help earn the win to secure the home final.

"That's the excitement factor that he has, that he can come out and do those things to the opposition," Siddle said.

"To see him back there and getting close to some of his best – I know it was an amazing performance, but he'd agree personally that he's still got a bit to go to get to his peak.

"If he's doing those performances now like he is, it will be exciting if he can stay on the park, stay fit."

The Redbacks have included Chadd Sayers in their squad for the match with the one-Test quick coming back from a hamstring injury suffered against Tasmania last month, but Daniel Worrall will miss the match as he continues to recover from a hamstring issue of his own.

There was no recall for batsmen Callum Ferguson and Tom Cooper who were dropped for the match against Queensland that saw the Bulls wrap up victory in an extraordinary penultimate-round encounter that produced just 447 runs, a record-equalling 13 ducks and lasted less than seven sessions.

South Australia: Travis Head (c), Tom Andrews, Brad Davis, Jake Lehmann, Conor McInerney, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen (wk), Elliot Opie, Luke Robins, Chadd Sayers, Kelvin Smith, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter

Victoria: Travis Dean (c), Scott Boland, Andrew Fekete, Seb Gotch, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, Nic Maddinson, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain