NSW wins toss, bats 1st in Australian domestic cricket final

<p>BRISBANE, Australia &mdash; Defending champion New South Wales won the toss on Thursday and decided to bat first in the domestic first-class Sheffield Shield cricket final against Queensland.</p>
<p>The Blues’ lineup includes regular test players Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and off-spinner Nathan Lyon, the season’s leading Shield wicket-taker with 39 dismissals.</p>
<p>Queensland has included Jack Wildermuth in the five-day match at Allan Border Field at the expense of quick James Bazley, after the allrounder missed the last round due to the birth of his first child.</p>
<p>Indian Premier League duties mean New South Wales will be without Australian test players Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, David Warner and Moises Henriques. </p>
<p>Queensland earned hosting duties by leading the Shield table 1.66 points clear of New South Wales.</p>
<p>The Bulls’ top order features captain Usman Khawaja and fellow ex-Australian batsmen Joe Burns and Matthew Renshaw, as well as current world No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne.</p>
<p>Queensland is undefeated in its last three matches at Allan Border Field and are looking to clinch a ninth Sheffield Shield and and first since 2017-18.</p>
<p>New South Wales is looking for its first back-to-back Shield titles since 1993-94 and a record 48th national title.</p>
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<p>Lineups:</p>
<p>Queensland: Bryce Street, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja (captain), Matthew Renshaw, Jimmy Peirson, Jack Wildermuth, Michael Neser, Xavier Bartlett, Mitch Swepson, Brendan Doggett.</p>
<p>New South Wales: Daniel Hughes, Matthew Gilkes, Kurtis Patterson (captain), Jason Sangha, Jack Edwards, Sean Abbott, Baxter Holt, Mitchell Starc, Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.</p>
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