THE NSW Blues, headlined by Ulladulla's Matthew Gilkes, will meet Western Australia in their first match of the Sheffield Shield, following Cricket Australia's announcement on Monday of an adjusted fixture for round two.
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The Blues were scheduled to meet Victoria to open their shield defence, however, after consultation with sports science and biosecurity experts, it has been decided that Victoria will now have a bye in round two along with Queensland.
New South Wales will take on Western Australia at Park 25, in Adelaide, from October 19-22.
The changes ensure a fairer preparation for first class cricket for all teams.
The delayed round one match between New South Wales and Victoria, originally scheduled for November 17-20, has also been postponed until after the Big Bash League season to allow players adequate time to prepare for that competition.
Drew Ginn, Cricket Australia's executive general manager high performance, said the adjusted Sheffield Shield round two fixture has been designed to increase competitive balance among all teams.
"[The amended fixture] considers the health and safety of all participating players," Ginn said.
"We look forward to both matches getting underway next Monday, October 19."
Elsewhere in round two, South Australia will take on Tasmania at Karen Rolton Oval.
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Courtney Ward
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
