Victoria will regain emerging star Ollie Peake for its Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia but will part with Matt Short for the rest of the season.
Peake missed the Vics’ strong win over Tasmania last week, combining a needed rest after a long summer and a blow against Western Australia.
Short sustained a minor crack in his thumb against Tasmania, but the injury falls in line with his scheduled departure for the Indian Premier League.
Peake rejoins the squad rested and confident, having steered the Vics over South Australia in a tight run chase earlier in the season.
Victorian coach Chris Rogers saw pre-final rest as an opportunity for the left-hander to “be a 19-year-old kid” for a week.
“We felt it was important he had a chance to be a 19-year-old kid, he’s been in the cricket bubble and all over the world for a long period of time” he said.
“I think it’s important he has these little breaks and gets to spend time with his family and friends.
“This 19s World Cup, they went to Africa and even in there was in a couple of countries in conditions and environments he would never have really experienced before I imagine.
“Those things all add up, so I think he had a chance to see one of his mates debut for the (Western) Bulldogs, Lachie Jacques.
“What a great opportunity to show other people you care about and how they’re going and that kind of thing and not caught up in the cricket bubble.”
The Vics dodged any signs of complacency by nosing out Tassie in a close game at Bellerive Oval last weekend.
They now welcome the reigning champions and potential finalist in South Australia to Junction Oval.
“We definitely know they’re a potential finalist and probably in the box seat, and we know they’re a good side,” he said.
“There will be some things we can take out of it. They probably need to get some kind of result as well, so they’ve got to play a solid game.
“Hopefully, we can just keep this momentum going, learn a few things. In some respects it’s a bit like Test cricket where you can problem solve over a few games and I like that idea.”
EXPECTED XII: Will Sutherland, Dylan Brasher, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Ollie Peake, Mitch Perry.