Lewis fails fitness test for Bushrangers

Mick Lewis has been ruled out of Victoria's Ford Ranger Cup match with Western Australia at Shepparton on Sunday after failing a fitness test on his injured hip muscle. Lewis was unable to complete a training session at full pace at the MCG and his absence will mean the Bushrangers enter the game without their eight contracted fast bowlers, all of whom are out injured.

"I can still feel it a bit," Lewis told AAP. "I want to play but I certainly don't want to rush into anything and risk carrying it for the whole season. There are three more one-dayers and a Pura Cup match scheduled for this month and with so many fast bowlers out injured I want to make sure I get back to full fitness rather than risk putting myself on the sidelines for longer."

The decision means Victoria will keep the same 12-man squad that lost to Queensland in their one-day match on Wednesday including the rookie batsman Aiden Blizzard, who hails from Shepparton.

Western Australia will take 13 men to Victoria after adding the fast bowler Tim Macdonald, who made his first-class debut for the Warriors last week, and Darren Wates to the team that lost by one run to New South Wales at the SCG last Wednesday. Shawn Gillies has been omitted from the squad.

Victoria squad Michael Klinger, Brad Hodge, Cameron White (capt), David Hussey, Rob Quiney, Aiden Blizzard, Andrew McDonald, Jon Moss, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Grant Lindsay, Clint McKay, Darren Pattinson.

Western Australia squad Luke Ronchi (wk), Chris Rogers, Shaun Marsh, Marcus North (capt), Adam Voges, Luke Pomersbach, Sean Ervine, Brad Hogg, Darren Wates, Brett Dorey, Steve Magoffin, Aaron Heal, Tim Macdonald.