Sheffield Shield: Western Australia opener Cam Bancroft in line for first match since horror collision

Opener Cam Bancroft is in line to return from a serious shoulder injury for Western Australia’s crucial Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales next week. The West Australian has been told Bancroft — who has not played cricket at any level since January 3 — will take on the Blues from Thursday if he gets through training this week. Test sensation Sam Konstas is set to play for New South Wales in the WACA Ground clash. The WA gun broke both his nose and his shoulder in a serious outfield collision with Sydney Thunder teammate Daniel Sams — who was concussed — against Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium during the Big Bash League season. Bancroft’s recovery has been tracking well and he has spent weeks batting in the nets at the WACA. He said last week he was hopeful of a return in “early March”. The three-time reigning champions must beat both the Blues and Victoria in a home match starting on March 15. They are 0.54 points behind New South Wales on the table. The West also understands Test all-rounder Cam Green is unlikely to face New South Wales, but is still hopeful of playing Victoria before he heads to Gloucestershire for a five-game stint. Green missed the entire international summer after undergoing back surgery, but will play in the County Championship with the second-division club for the first time in the lead-in to Australia’s World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s. Lance Morris is a good chance to play in his second straight shield match, despite tight restrictions from Cricket Australia under his national contract. Morris was rested from last week’s one-day cup victory over Queensland at the Gabba to boost his hopes of facing the Blues. The tearaway starred in the three-day win over the Bulls earlier in the week. Bancroft would resume his long-standing opening partnership with WA red-ball captain Sam Whiteman. The 32-year-old scored 187 runs from just five matches in the first-half of the season, with the spotlight on him as Australian selectors shopped for a replacement opener for David Warner. Once the national selection case was closed, he made a drought-busting century against South Australia at Adelaide Oval. Konstas came under more fire on Friday for his domestic performances since returning from Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka early. The teenager — who stunned the cricket world in a barnstorming Boxing Day Test debut — has a first-class top score of 22 since returning from Galle, split by a century in a one-day game against Queensland. Legendary former Australian captain Steve Waugh warned “the game will bite you pretty quickly if you don’t respect it”. “I just hope (his debut) hasn’t messed with his head,” he told SEN. “He is only 19. I look back to when I was 19 and I didn’t know what I was doing really. “You need good mentors around you. He has taken a big risk the way he has played and he has almost probably suffered for it already, dropped after a couple of Test matches and didn’t play against Sri Lanka. “(He then) goes back to shield cricket and doesn’t really know what he is doing. I saw the match against Victoria where the first over of a shield game he tried ramping shots, reverse sweep and charging Scott Boland who is one of the best bowlers in the world.” Konstas will play WA and Tasmania, then national team bosses say they are keen for him to also head to the United Kingdom to play before the WTC final.